Cards, Cards, Cards!

I occasionally say that I'm going to give up making cards.  

But . . . sometimes when painting or art journaling just seems like too much work; 

when I don't want to haul out all my scrapping stuff and figure out where my pictures are; when my wrist hurts too much to work on editing images; 

but . . .  I still want to create, then it's fun to pull out a stack of patterned paper and make a bunch of cards.

And it's good to have a stash of cards for the important events in life, including the sad times when someone needs a sympathy card:

Thanks to Ali Manning for sponsoring this de-stash challenge which encouraged me to use up some of my patterned paper.  Each of these cards used 3-4 different patterns, and it was fun to get them out of my stash and into my card bin.  And easy. And sometimes that just what an artist needs.  Is there something you turn to when you want to create but are low energy?

Green is the new black (and stamp winner)

I remember reading some time ago that "green is the new black," meaning that green can be substituted for black as an all-purpose neutral. I embraced this idea because I really do like green, especially a deep, rich hunter green or a nice, dark khaki. So, when the Gingersnap Creations Blog announced green as the feature for its monthly color challenge, I decided to play along.  Stampotique Originals (one of my favorite stamp lines) is their sponsor this month (their design team created these green creations), so I decided to make my green cards with Stampotique stamps. 

Although I have many wonderful Stampotique stamps, I keep getting drawn back to these girls.  They just really speak to my design sensibilities.  These last two cards are based on the sketch at the CAS-ual Fridays: Clean and Simple Challenge Blog. The one on the left is more true to the sketch, but the one on the right is "simpler."  The card up top is actually based on the sketch I discussed in my blog on Tuesday. Got a favorite among these cards? Is there a color that has become your go-to neutral? How do you feel about green?
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And the winner of the February Stamp give-away is Deb Turtle! Check back on March 1 for my next stamp give-away. Deb, I'll try to get the stamps to you in time for Valentine's Day.

Vintage Photo Cards with my Counterfeit Kit

I'm always looking for good ideas for using my large collection of vintage photographs, and this month's Counterfeit Kit Challenge Blog Sketch seemed to me like it would work. The sketch came from the Unscripted Sketches Blog (Sketch #141):

What I found intriguing about the sketch is that it reminded me of many scrapbook layouts I see, but that I would never copy,  because they only use one photograph (I usually scrap 3-6 per page) and because I have trouble leaving that much white space (I know I'm supposed to "learn to love white space," but it's hard for me).

But I love, love, love how this sketch worked for making cards which featured my collection of heritage photographs and which used the counterfeit kit I put together for January. Have you ever used a scrapbook sketch for cards? Or vice-versa?

Stamp Winners and a Peaceful Card

When organizing today, I worked on clearing out the bin I call my "art projects to work on." It contains all kinds of bits and bobs and kits that I started but never completed.  I came across a baggie of color copies I had made of some small collages. I'm sure my plan was to make some cards. So I did - I made nine quick cards simply by trimming the image, matting it and then putting it on a card base. I assume I'm not the only one with an "unfinished projects" bin, am I?
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And, I've drawn the stamp winners from Wednesday's give-away:
Cheri will be receiving the "happy stamps."
Melissa will be receiving the farm labels. 
I have your addresses from Ginger's mail art exchange, but email if it's changed since then. 
Congratulations girls! And everyone interested in stamps, please check back on the first of each month when I'll be giving away more new or gently used stamps.

Christmas Cards from My Stash.

I'm finally getting a break from work and have been getting in the Christmas spirit.  I am thankful and excited about all the Christmas cards I have been receiving from all over the world! That's just one of the fun benefits of blogging, I think.

Each year, I send out two groups of Christmas cards.  My talented, crafty friends who I know appreciate a handmade card get one of those.  My noncrafty (but still wonderful) family and friends receive a photocard. I ordered my photo Christmas cards yesterday, and they should arrive by the end of the week. I also started addressing handmade cards for my crafty friends.  And then I realized I didn't have enough!

I had been saving this post from the Counterfeit Kit Challenge blog about using your stash because I thought it would be a fun thing to do when I got a bit more time.  So, I reviewed and started to go through my stash to find some things to make another dozen or so cards.  And I had so much fun!

Most of these cards combined a variety of embellishments in my Christmas stash, including patterned paper, stickers, tags, paper piecings, felt fusion, etc. It was totally fun to mix and match things. I hope the recipients like their cards. How are you coming on sending and receiving cards?

Ho, Ho, Ho

I recently found a baggie with 18 of these Santa images, which I stamped last year using one of the techniques from Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of Christmas series and some strips of vintage music paper. I even had a mock-up of something similar to the card on the left.  Another unfinished project. . . sigh.
 So, I found some appropriate red and green paper and whipped up these cards.  Felt great to get that project out of the unfinished column!
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Today I am grateful for: those people who have confidence in me and, thus, inspire me to be better.

Ten on the Tenth: Cards from Scraps

I've been accumulating lots of scraps and ephemera odds and ends from the scrapbook pages I've been making for Shimelle's Pretty Paper Party class.  So, I sat down to make some cards with them.  These two Christmas cards came together very easily.  But the rest of the scraps left me feeling uninspired.  I did, however, find in my crafting bag a ziplock baggie full of photographs, matching card stock mats and card blanks to make a whole batch of photo cards. I have a vague recollection of putting this kit together for a crop once upon a time.  So, I sat down with my paper trimmer and ATG gun and whipped up these cards in no time flat:

So happy to have them done! And extra happy to have them out of my bag!
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Today I am grateful for: Happy Surprises

Class Review: A Day with Mary Jo McGraw

As I mentioned recently, this year's Scramp Camp featured the guest artist Mary Jo McGraw. She spent the day with us, teaching two actual classes (one on collage and one on coloring and card making) and the balance of the day hanging out with us answering questions about various techniques and products.  The classes were fine. I made the canvas I posted about here and the cards posted above. I'd give the classes a solid B+ for giving good information and working with each student to create something that fit them individually. I have a recurring gripe about instructors not handing out written instructions, but that's a battle I seem destined to lose.   Mary Jo also has lots of very strong opinions, and she's going to share them with you!  Such candor may not be for everyone.
But . . . the amount of knowledge she possesses about products, stamping, art journaling, etc. is breath-taking! My favorite part of the day spent with her was when she taught us how to draw faces (see mine here) and answered questions about Ranger products and techniques. I wish I could have video-taped that portion of the day because it certainly rated a solid A for content and a willingness to share her secrets! 
Speaking of classes, I signed up for Cheryl Johnson's next photography class, "Painting with Light: The Sequel." I'm really liking her mix of photography tips and photoshop lessons. Plus, for $30, it's hard to beat! Anyone else taking any classes now or in the near future?
P.S.
Just a little "squee" because I found out there's an observation bee hive at a children's museum about 1.5 miles from my work!
And a really big sigh of relief because I took Gypsy back to the vet today for a one month check-in, and my rock star vet Craig says that she's looking really good!!! We're continuing to decrease the amount of medication she's taking, and we're really beginning to think she's going to make a full recovery!

Sympathy & Thank You Cards: Counterfeit Kit Challenge

When putting together my July Counterfeit Kit, I made a card kit add-on because I knew I was going to make some cards for a card swap. I chose to feature the Michael Strong Whirl-a-gig collection from Club Scrap, but only used the blues, whites and yellows in my main kit. So, I put the coral papers in my card kit add-on, along with some other papers, flowers, ribbons and buttons:

I like to keep Sympathy cards fairly simple, and I like the ones I made. I hope the coral isn't too cheery/bright for the sentiment. What do you think?

I also made some thank-you cards, which I think worked just fine with the color palette (although the light coral/pink paper doesn't scan very well). It's been a while since I participated in a card swap. For this one, I'm sending in four thank-you cards and getting four different thank-you cards back. Same thing with the four sympathy cards.  I used to participate in them all the time but got burnt out on them.
What about you? Do you do card swaps?

Challenge Cards

The Stampotique Design Challenge Blog is having a "use your scraps" blog hop and challenge right now. So, I grabbed the scraps from my June Counterfeit Kit and made this hexagonal card with one of my favorite Stampotique stamps. As much as I'm captivated by this image, I have to admit that I have had some trouble figuring out how to use it So, I was really happy when I saw how well it went with this patterned paper!
I was inspired to make a hexagonal card because Mini Challenge #3 at the Counterfeit Kit Challenge Blog is to create a card or layout that is NOT a rectangle or square. I made this card as well:

I have one more project from my June counterfeit kit which I'll post for their blog hop later this month. But, for now, the kit is done! I just have a few itty bitty scraps left. It's so much fun to be using up my stash. Can hardly wait for the July kit. It was fun to make a non-square/rectangle card. Why don't you give it a try?

Counterfeit Kit Blog Hop: Summertime Birthday Party

The Counterfeit Kit Challenge Blog is hosting a blog hop that should provide you with lots of inspiration.  You can check out the CKCB main page at this link.  Each of the posts in today's hop will tell you about a favorite web site/manufacturer and will create a project using inspiration from that website.  I chose Club Scrap because it remains my all time favorite paper arts producer.  Even though my counterfeit kit doesn't feature Club Scrap product this month, their website is full of inspiration.  If you go to the main Club Scrap site and click on the "Inspiration" tab, you'll see galleries based on their collections, a video archive and lots of other fun stuff.  Within each collection, there are sample cards, layouts and projects.  I based my Houston Memory card (see explanation here) on a card I found in the "Lotus Pond" gallery.  Here's the link to the card which inspired me.  It was made by a very talented Club Scrap member named Farley:

I almost forgot . . . the inside of my card reads, "During the summer which Cordelia and I spent in Houston, our aunts and uncles decided to throw us a birthday party since we were never in town for our 'real' birthday.   We were both born in March. I only ever had one summertime birthday, and it's one I will never forget."
I hope you have fun perusing Club Scrap's website for inspiration, as well as the other websites in the blog hop!
{As with most blog hops, it's possible that blogger may have problems or the timing of posts may be a bit off. So, if things don't go smoothly right away, check back in later}
To continue on the hop, click on this link to go see Jennifer.


And, if you get lost along the way, here's a complete list of the participating blogs:

Counterfeit Kit Challenge       http://counterfeitkitchallenge.blogspot.com/

Emily http://aplaceformyscraps.blogspot.com/

Ashley         http://papercatnipcupcakes.blogspot.com/

Patty                 http://pattycakescreations.blogspot.com/

Lisa J                                   http://thesimplelifewithlisa.blogspot.com/

Julie Ann         http://julieannshahin2.blogspot.com/

Milissa http://millermall.blogspot.com/

Jennifer G. http://jennifersjumbles.blogspot.com

Lesa         http://cutescrapbookingideas.com/

Tricia http://scrapquilt.blogspot.com

Karen http://icouldbescrapbookinginstead.blogspot.com/

Lisa A.         http://dreamingofcreativity.blogspot.com/

Glinda         http://razzledscrapper.blogspot.com/ 

Rinda         http://gallorganico.blogspot.com/

Jennifer C. http://www.mypair-a-dice.blogspot.com/

Christy                 http://myscrapbookevolution.blogspot.com/

Michelle         http://creativeoperation.blogspot.com/

Bethany                                   http://inspiredscrapper-bethany.blogspot.com/

An Eerie Houston Memory Card and Praise for CKCB

I have really had a great time this month playing along with the Counterfeit Kit Challenge Blog (CKCB).  It was exactly the inspiration I needed to get moving on my heritage/genealogy scrapbook and to record some special childhood memories of trips to visit relatives in Houston, Texas.  I enjoyed the fun of putting together the counterfeit kit (see my post here) and participating in two of their mini-challenges (see post here and here).  Tomorrow is another special event - a blog hop where participants will share a link to a favorite scrapbooking company and a project inspired by something from that link.  I hope you'll stop by and check it out.
In the meantime, here's my latest Houston Memory card.  It has to do with my Uncle Felix (my mother's brother) and Aunt Helen.  Making these cards has made me realize that I feel a unique bond with each of my various aunts and uncles and their families.  For their family, the bond comes from the fact that several of their children were the same age as me or my brothers and sisters, so we had a lot in common.  They also came to visit us a few times in California, so we were even closer.  Also, their oldest son, "Little Felix" actually moved to California, and he would attend family holiday dinners with us.  I have many fond memories and stories about him, but those will need to shared another day.  
This memory card recalls a summer in Houston, and it reads "There was a cemetery behind my Uncle Felix and Aunt Helen's house.  We would scare ourselves silly daring each other to creep out there at midnight."

Aunt Anna Mary and Uncle Tony (CKC minichallenge #3)

The Counterfeit Kit Club has issued a Mini-Challenge to go with this month's kit.  The challenge (see post here) is to start with an embellishment and plan a card or layout around it.  I started with this pair of chipboard embellishments from my counterfeit kit:

They inspired me to take out my circle cutter and create a round embellishment for the Houston Memory card (see explanation here) at the top of my post.  The design was so elegant that I decided to write about my Aunt Anna Mary and Uncle Tony (Anthony).   My mom adored her oldest brother - my Uncle Tony - and I have a layout planned for him to be completed soon.  Here's a picture of how I remember them:

Inside the card I wrote, "Aunt Anna Mary and Uncle Tony were the oldest of my aunts and uncles.  They were always very sophisticated - he was dapper and she was elegant.  I remember she made beautiful porcelain dolls that she would turn into lamps. She gave us one with a purple dress and black hair."

I had a lot of fun starting with an embellishment and using that as an inspiration.  Do you ever do that? 

"Great Minds Think Alike" Card Sketch

I make a lot of photo cards.  You can see some of them by clicking on this link.  Most of them use a full photo with some added embellishments and a sentiment.  This card is a little different.  It uses a 1-2" strip cut from a photo, mounted on a white card (which is why it's hard to see the edges of the card).   It's based on this sketch, which I sort of developed:

I say that I sortof developed it because the sketch is based on two almost identical cards that I received in the mail today from two different people!  This one is from Amy in Australia:

And this one from Deb in Arizona, USA:

Aren't the cards pretty?  And isn't it a little eery to get two such similar cards that to my knowledge were created independently?  Anyway, it's a very fun and easy sketch to use.  Here's one more I made:

 Let me know if you decide to to use the sketch.  And, if you put the photos on white, be sure to photograph or scan them with something in the background! LOL!