October 2011. . . cards, thoughts, ramblings

 Wow!  I've been so busy!   I've finished my master's and started another year of school; I've finally finished my recipe book and have made lots of cards.  Unfortunately I've given most of my cards away as needed without taking pictures.  Last weekend I decided to play catch-up and add to my card stash for future events.  I decided to post here and include some things I've learned since my last post.
1.  I like shaped cards.  I bought the blue Doodlebug "file folder" type card at Archivers.  I love the extra touch the tab adds.  I bought some shaped cards in the dollar spot at Michaels like the one of the "No Tricks, Only Treats" card.  I've also cut some with my cricut (especially birthday bash cartridge).  I think this is an area I'd like to explore more.  These cards pose special design challenges.  

 

2.  I need to remember that I'm still learning and it's okay to explore.  I've thrown away pieces and cards that I haven't been able to salvage and I'm okay with that now.  I'm not too crazy about the "No Tricks, Only Treats" card above but as it is for a 6 year old boy, I'm still giving it away.  The "Boo" card was adjusted about 10 times.  I'm super happy with it now and think it's better than what I originally had in mind.  (some of the blocks are on foam tape- lots a lot better in person).  

3.  I am more than my tools.  I love my cricut; I love my cuttlebug.  But many of the cards in this post were made without either.  I am glad I've started exploring other types of paper crafting. 

 

 4.  It's okay to cut pieces off the side of the card.  I've been experimenting with pieces that hang off the edge of the card- like the circle above.  I think it adds more interest to the card. 

5.  It's also okay to have things at angles.  I can't line things up perfectly so I might as well twist and turn them.  Pumpkinman is from Stretch Your Imagination.  

 

6.  Time spent organizing really pays off.  I wanted to create Halloween cards and since I had just organized, I knew I had a sheet of DCWV with all kinds of blocks that could be cut apart.  I also found the plaid from a Jungle Safari mat stack that had a "fall" feel to it.  I recently color-coded my scraps.  I used the colors of the rainbow and have a ziplock for pinks/reds, orange/yellows, greens, blues, indigo/violets, light neutrals (white, cream), and dark neutrals (brown, black).  These ziplocs fit in an expandable file container (like this).  This is the best scrap system I've used-- easy to file, easy to look through, doesn't take up a lot of space. 

7.  Speaking of organizing, I unmounted my rubber stamps.  I literally just finished this.  Easy to do and seems to work well, I just peeled off the foam/rubber and sticker and stuck them together.  Most came off really easily, otherwise I used the microwave for 20 seconds or so.  I then used Aleene's tack-it-over-and-over (found at Michaels) to make it a cling stamp.  I am using clear cd jewel cased to store them in.    Here are some videos I referred to:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dR_lAkWuD_I and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjflQYXwS10.  Ask if you have questions.  For me, it saves just a little space but makes it so easy to find the stamp I want.  (I have all my thank you stamps together, all my birthday stamps together, etc.)  By the way, the squirrel above is from Give a Hoot. 

 

8.  Don't be afraid of patterned paper.  Kristina Werner has been presenting a series on using and mixing patterned papers.  I used her Large pattern/ small pattern/ "solid" to mix the papers above.  I like the "rule" to only have one multicolored pattern paper.  This keeps it from being too busy. 

 

9.  Speaking of pattern papers, you can stamp on pattern paper and cut it out.  See how it looks on the arrow with "Haunted House".   The owl is from Storybook. 

10.  Keep going until you "finish" the card. I like clean and simple cards but sometimes they look a tad boring.  I added the border lines and some stickles on this card.  The "Boo" frame is from Stretch your imagination.  The cat is from Martha Stewart Seasonal Cake Art. 

11.  Think outside the box.  The Snoopy above is actually a pin; not anything made to be put on a card.  Put on a flower from George, it can be used as a pin by the recipient.  The papers on the butterfly card are all repurposed Halloween papers.  Would you have guessed?  The "Wishing you a happy birthday" sentiments is two sentiments put together. 

12.  Fall in love with your card.  I made the spider from Doodlecharms and fell in love, especially with the spooked expression on his face.  This card makes me so happy!  I also love the elephant from Birthday Bash and think it's a great way to welcome a friend's new baby to the world.  I know I'm not an expert card maker and my cards lack the details that spend hours but I am proud that I can express my love to my family and friends this way. 

There you have a dozen new thoughts from me and 14 new cards.  Here are some challenges I am entering: 
*CARDZ TV:  Owl from Storybook. 

*Paper Playtime:  My Boo to You spider card uses black, orange, and purple. 

*Creative Cutter Room:  My squirrel card is a thank you card. 

*My Creative Time:  George is a font cartridge but I used it for the flower behind Snoopy.