Four Fold Card with Spinner

This card is based on instructions found here at Dawn's Stamping Thoughts  Her directions are clear. Scroll down on that page for her video tutorial.

The card uses 4 pieces of cardstock cut at 5.5 x 4.25 inches, the black paper seen here. The turquoise paper (again, 4 pieces) is cut at 5.25 x 4 inches. I used oval dies to cut the openings and to cut the oval frames from black glitter paper. The one thing I did differently from Dawn's directions was to apply glue to the cardstock rather than the back of the frame pieces. This was easier for me, perhaps because the glitter paper (scrap, unknown source) was very thin and flimsy.

Here is what I like and don't like about this first attempt:

I love the concept. It was an easy card to assemble and potentially very impressive. It will fit in a standard envelope for mailing. By not using a patterned paper in the turquoise areas, I can add embellishment or write greetings.

The only difficult part is lining up the frame over the opening. I suspect that if I had cut the frame out of cardstock, there may have been less trouble. The glittery paper I used is so thin, it was almost like working with knit fabric that moves around on you. Obviously paper doesn't stretch, but lining it up and holding it in place with wet glue gave me a less than perfect result. The last view and the closeup below are the first frames that I glued in place. See how the white backing of the frame on the opposite side of this opening shows?  I can't cut that. Not only would it be awkward to get in there and make a smooth cut, the frame's dimensions on the other side would be off. I will use a fine tip black marker on it to make it less noticeable.

The wording and image are both from Art Impressions, a set called Live Laugh Love. I used a combination of Tombow markers and Prismacolor pencils to color the ladies. Their earrings look dull here but were done with metallic ink pens.

Okay, hours later I am back with updated photos. The black marker solved my white paper problem. I didn't have an embellishment that pleased me so I used a Tim Holtz stencil and Copic multiliner pen to add some flourishes.

Here is an overhead shot of the card

I'm much happier now. This evening's photos show the true color of the card cardstock. 

Inky Antics Valentines

Inky Antics is one of my favorite design lines. My local scrapbooking store loves them too and often has new releases before most of us have seen them online. The bad news for me is that I lose all restraint when I fall for new releases. This is good news for the shop owner.

I came home with four sets of stamps all geared toward Valentines Day. Three sets are corny riddles. Oh my....right up my alley! The fourth makes candies as you would find in a box of chocolates (did you hear that in Forest Gump's voice?) with sweet sentiments. What makes all of this over-the-top fun is that Inky Antics also makes scratch off stickers to use with these sentiments and riddle answers!

Here are the stamp sets, Valentine Riddles #1, #2 and #3

 

Here is the Candy Box Message set and their circle scratch off stickers. They also make rectangular and squares ones to coordinate with the riddle answers above.

 

Here is a sample message stamped, then the sticker being scratched off and the end result. I have read directions on making your own scratch off solution but haven't done it. This is quick and easy but perhaps if I was going through dozens of them, I'd want to make my own solution. Then again...I probably would not. This is neat and some of the DIY ones I've seen are lumpy and irregular in shape.

I've only made one card so far, using the Candy Box Message set. Here are the steps I took to make it.  The red ruler is part of my Mysti stamp positioner. I avoided buying this tool for well over a year, thinking it was too expensive and unnecessary, but then I used one in a class and was sold. I was fortunate to buy one just before the product was revamped and is now being sold at an even higher price.

Test placement of sentiments on stamped image

Sentiments inked with brown ink and being applied. The grid lines you see are the top plate/cover of the Mysti.

I stamped candy swirls onto medium and dark brown papers and cut them out with a 1" circle punch. The circles were too perfect for the way I think of dipped chocolates so I trimmed the shapes before adhering them to the blank spaces.

Time to cover up the sentiments

Double matting the box of chocolates, adhering that to a card front and adding messages from the same stamp set created this card: 

Copic and Prismacolor Penguin

Isn't this girl (or maybe guy flaunting that hibiscus?) cute? I certainly relate to the sentiment, especially on a day where the outside temp has a below zero wind chill!

The penguin stamp is My Favorite Things, Penguins in Paradise. Coloring was accomplished with Copic Markers, Prismacolor Pencils, and a white Gelly Roll pen. This was done in a live class with Amy Shulke of Vanilla Arts, taught at Remember When Scrapbooking (Facebook Page) or check here Remember When Scrapbooking (web page).

Amy also teaches monthly classes through an online source, Patreon. See her web page for information on that. 

I've been using Copics for a while now. What did I learn in this lesson? What color(s) to use as a base below the darks and how to shade the whites of the penguin's body. While there would be nothing wrong with coloring the body simply black and white to make a cute card, you have to admit this is more interesting. I won't say realistic for those of you who question a penguin wearing a flower and an inner tube, but that is what the coloring really is, more realistic. Once you learn this, it barely takes any more time to color this way than straight application of one color. 

The colors and techniques in the oval behind the penguin make me so happy. Most of the coloring is Copic Markers but what a bit of Prismacolor pencil adds is amazing!

Another part of this particular class was balancing the number of colors used in a pleasing way. Some things we know instinctively when dressing ourselves or decorating a room but when we have an image to color....ack!!!...what do we do?

I am not a shill for Amy's classes or Shannon's store. I mention them because it is what I know and encourage nearby friends to investigate. I cannot share specific information on colors and techniques here because they aren't mine to share. To do so would shortchange the instructor and also myself as I paid for this class.

If you are inspired by this image but not interested in taking online classes, look for instructors near you or online who teach more than the basic Copic blends of three sequential colors. Adding a pencil or gelly roll after the Copic part is done can enhance what you've done. You can always color the monthly freebie at Vanilla Arts and watch Amy's speed coloring video of the image, seen here.

Whatever you do, Happy Coloring!

Tuxedo Card

My younger son's birthday was yesterday. I found directions for a Tuxedo card on Pinterest. I am almost embarrassed to admit the problems I had wrapping my head around the directions but am admitting that here in case someone else falls into the same trap.

First, the card:

The inside panel is white, mounted on black and then onto the striped paper used in the belly band. I didn't photograph that before adding the handwritten sentiment which I am not sharing here. 

Now about the directions....

The directions are here and are based on directions given here in metric measures. I don't "think" in metric (even if it is easier) so I had windows open for both Diane Barne's (the first link) and Sarah-Jane Rae's directions. My confusion was a misinterpretation on my part. I read, re-read and read again where to make the first two score lines that form the gate like openings to this card. The closed card overlaps as a suit jacket would, but the score lines were the same measure on each end. I was completely ignoring the fact that the middle section was not twice the width of these flaps. I'm good at math....honest!....this was just a duh! moment that we all have from time to time. As soon as I cut and scored a scrap piece of paper, I realized my mistaken thought and pretty much flew through making this card.

The shirt buttons were done with a pliers style punch of indeterminate size that just looked right to me. The tuxedo buttons are the largest circles on Stampin' Up's Owl Builder Punch. I eyeballed trimming down the lapels and cut the notches by hand after figuring out where I wanted them. I used the snipped scrap as a pattern for the second side. The greeting on the belly band is from Stampin' Up's From the Herd set of stamps. I cut the belly band at 1.25" by 11, folded it around the closed card and adjusted (trimmed a bit of excess) before adhering one end over the other. The black paper is an inch tall and was eyeballed to center the greeting. The tie was done as described in the first link.

Now I need to come up with an equally impressive card for this son's older brother in March. The boys are getting to an age of being my younger brothers or possibly I'll just call them my husband's sons. Too bad they share some of my personality and physical resemblance.  

Year end review

To paraphrase John Lennon, another year older and what have I done?

Not so much new lessons learned as old ones reinforced although some new craft techniques were learned along the way. What were the reinforced lessons? Don't sweat the small stuff. Enjoy the journey. Get away from negative people as much as possible. Do what makes you happy.

Our Disney cruise last January was derailed because our daughter-in-law's pregnancy was too far along for Disney rules. Was that crushing? Nope. We're going in 2016 and used last year's airfare to go the Nickelodeon Resort in Orlando. A change in plans meant unexpected pleasure. Who knew I'd meet such *interesting* and *famous* men?

 

Here's some of that "small stuff" that is growing and blossoming before our eyes, our granddaughter:

 

And of course we have her big brother who has made 2015 a year of discovery and much laughter. Did you know you could grow a handlebar mustache before the tooth fairy made her first visit? Did you know that when the tooth fairy decides to visit, she sometimes comes multiple times in one month?

 

Okay, enough about small stuff. I could go on about those two sweethearts forever but I wasn't going to do that in this reincarnated blog. Let's discuss "enjoying the journey". 

In June of 2014 I rejoined Weight Watchers. I have lost 85 pounds so far, 37 of them disappearing in 2015.  I write about that journey here. The reasons why I was struggling with weight finally made became clear to me. It isn't that I learned a new method (trust me, I tired dozens of fads and gimmicks over the years) but that I finally understood myself. Better late than never!

Getting away from negative people was next. I go days without watching any televised news and scroll past some people on Facebook when they are in what I consider "rant" mode. I know that sometimes we all need to vent but that can be catching and pretty soon everyone in a group is up in arms. That gives me a headache. 

Lastly, doing what makes me happy. I have done more of that in the way of crafting than in many years before. I've always enjoyed my hobbies but sometimes felt I should be doing something else that seemed more practical or productive. 

Pfffftttt!

I am not going to solve the world's problems by sitting here worrying about them or feeling guilty. What I can do is be happier and maybe that will be catchy to someone on the fence about feeling crabby that day or trying a little harder to find some joy and humor in their day. 

The card that I make, the mittens I knit or any of the other things I create make me happy during the process. When I hear that someone was touched because they recognized I was thinking of them during both the process and the act of giving them something, little bursts of happy fireworks go off for me. 

A card making group that meets monthly made snowmen out of socks this month instead of paper crafting. The ones we made were larger than these but so easy and cute, I bought a package of baby socks and made these little ones for some of the members of the Monday morning Weight Watchers group. A few were struggling with issues beyond the scale. I don't know them well enough to have addresses or even know their last names, but I thought these snowmen might let them know I care. 

The expressions of most who received them was wonderful and the comments a week later by two nearly had me in tears. These little guys apparently helped at least two women get through a difficult week. 

We don't know the struggles strangers are facing. A smile doesn't cost us a thing and is good exercise. Maybe that is the only smile someone will see that day. Wouldn't it be nice to know your smile, holding the door open, or handing out a coupon you don't need brightens someone's day?

I might not have it in me to solve the worries of the world, but I will make my corner a little brighter bit by bit. Yarn, glitter, paper and off tune humming will be involved.

I end most of my weight loss blog posts with 'Onward and Downward' meaning I am still going strong and the scale numbers are going downward. I think my words for the coming year on this blog will be Sparkle On or something similar. Not all crafts need to sparkle but our happy hearts should.

Cards, Christmas edition 2015

Yikes, over a month without a post. It must be the holidays....

The first card I made this season was this one. It folds flat for mailing when you omit the battery operated tea light inside. The window and sentiment are Stampin' Up dies and stamp as is the image done on vellum. I really liked this until it hit me that a flickering glow would be from a fireplace or candle inside the house, not out in the snow. Unless the house is on fire, this shouldn't be!

Sticking with the window die (Hearth & Home) and Stampin' Up's Brick Wall embossing folder, I made this next using images from Holiday Home. The tree above is from Happy Scenes, both SU products.

The sky has a watercolor wash, the snow has a bit of white sparkle on it by way of a glue pen and sprinkle of fine glitter. It needed some greenery and thankfully, a friend came through with a baggie of greens from a punch that I believe was from the Martha Stewart line and has been discontinued. That looked much better, and I was happiest when I added some red berries  (Stickles). I made 15 cards in this style. 

My knitting group members were recipients of this card made with Lawn Fawn's Baaah Humbug stamps. The black background was done with a white ink pad over Tim Holtz' Holiday Knit layering stencil. Since not much of it showed on the front but did look like a ski sweater design, I used a bit of that on the inside, writing my own greeting.

This card may not have happened, certainly not by the dozen, without the use of a Misti stamping tool.  See the Misti here   I avoided this purchase for a long time because of the price but haven't regretted once since that first use.

Another group of friends received this card which was fun to do, assembly line style. The instructions came from Connie Stewart's blog detailed here.  The stamped sentiment is from Laugh Out Loud Christmas by Clearly Besotted.

One neighbor with young children didn't need them confused by the above sentiment, so his house received this card. The stamp is Jolly Santa by Woodware Clear Magic Singles. Santa's face is marker and colored pencil, hat and background are markers, his beard is glue and white glitter and his eyeglasses have a coat of clear gelly roll pen on the lenses.

One more Stampin' Up die got a lot of use this year, the Delicate Ornaments die. I used it on glittery paper from a pad purchased at Target and on metallic papers from either Michaels or Joann's. Those were my favorite. The weight of the paper made them easy to work with.

Silver metallic over green glitter on left, Silver over white cardstock on right.

Silver metallic over green glitter on both. 

Left has yellow glitter and silver metallic over gold background, right has silver metallic and red metallic over gold. I have no idea how I should have photographed these. They look much better in person.

These ornaments were from a matte gold, textured paper. The branches were embossed with matte gold powder. 

It would have made more sense to pick one card and make all of them the same but choosing just one design is like picking your favorite child....impossible!