Mom's birthday...

 

This is a selection of cards that I made and put together for my Mom's 79th birthday... which is today!  You may recognize these from previous posts.  ALL are using up scraps.  I don't really know if she sends many cards but she should be able to use these up in the coming year.  I've sent her two birthday, two thinking of you and two no sentiment...

 

My mom is a quilter and I thought these all had a quilted feel to them.



A thought in the night...

 

I have over forty of these Scrappy Backgrounds that I've put together while in New Jersey during the Renovation.  I've wanted to do something a little different than I have been doing with them... and this came to me in the wee hours of the morning (that and the cat telling me it's time for her to be let out... btw, she has a cat door but feels she MUST go out the people door... geesh, cats!)

 

I used a new die-cut that Zack gave me for Christmas and I can see this will also be a great way to use up some ribbon and washi tape too...

 

 

Supplies used...

• Neenah Solar White 110# card base
• Recollections Black
• Scrap strips in various widths
• Washi tape and ribbon pieces
• StazOn Jet Black ink
• Sentiment from "A Word for You" by Stampin' Up
• Spellbinders Labels Twenty

Solid Color Scraps...

 

I wondered how the Bargello Technique would look with solid color papers instead of patterned.  A rather interesting result, I think.  It kinda looks like one of those Mexican blankets I was too stupid to buy when I was in Tijuana, Mexico thirty years ago.  I like this... but I think it could be better.  Maybe the strips should be on white then layered with black.  I'll have to give it a try and see...

 

Another issue with the light box... the picture is convex.  How do I remedy that? 

 

Supplies used... 

• Neenah Solar White 110#
• Various widths of bright solid scraps
• Sticker from Mrs. Grossman's

Updated 1-25-13  Definitely better with the two outside borders, one being black.  I did better with being directly in front of the card too when taking the picture so there is alot less convex.  I'm pleased...

 

Triple Time w/ paper...

I'm trying my hand at two things here... 1.  The Triple Time technigue using paper instead of stamps and 2. The light box (following THIS tutorial)...

I think the triple time technique with paper is wicked awesome!  It's a great way to use up paper I've had for, like forever.  The light box?  I think I still need to work on this.  The colors don't seem as real to me as I'd like them to be.  I also had trouble with focusing.  Definitely a work in progress...

Experimented more today but boy, this one is WAY off!!  I tried a 100w Reveal.  This is not even close to what the actual card looks like.  Back to the drawing board...

 

Better, but I'm still not thrilled with it.  The left is a 100w Regular bulb AND the flash on the camera and the right is same bulb, no flash...

Thoughts?

 

Another attempt...

 

1.  100w daylight bulb

2.  Took picture IN daytime

3.  The light is between 4 and 6 inches from card

 

I'm seeing blue... have I been at this too much?

 

 

More of Ronni's scraps...

 

A very, very quick card made from more of the scraps that Ronni sent.  Each scrap panel is 2.75" x 1.375".  The sentiment by Stampabilities is on a 2.75" x 1.5" piece of white cardstock and layered with black, then popped with dimensionals.  From the scraps, I picked three pieces that I thought would compliment each other.  I can see many, many scrap pieces disappearing with this design... I'm in scrap heaven!

 

•♫♪ Who's the leader of the club •♫♪

•♫♪ That's made for you and me... M...I...C...K...E...Y.... M...O...U...S...E •♫♪

 

 

Ahhhh... the memories! 

 

So, here is my first card of the New Year made especially for a child... yay!  ALL the papers (including the black) are from a scrap pile that Ronni sent me in mid-December.  Ronni, really?  How could you have parted with these?  They are fantastic!!  Well, thank-you so much and keep your eyes peeled for more creations from that pile.  It's a challenge.  They seem to multiply in the night... :)

 

Challenge accepted......

 

Fellow cardmaker Jennifer (she blogs over at The Sparkle Within) has thrown down the gauntlet once again this year to make at least five Christmas cards a month.  And I accept!  I liked doing this last year.  The challenge went from March thru October (see side bar).  This year, we're starting earlier.  Since Operation Write Home takes their first Christmas Cards around July, it only makes sense.  And as Jennifer stated here in January, "There IS some advantage for still needing to put the holiday stuff away."  And that works for me too.  I made ten of these...  :)

 

Supplies used...

• Neenah Desert Storm Background paper
• Ruby Slipper Bazzill paper
• Whisper White by Stampin' Up
• Scraps from K&Company Susan Wright Specialty 12" x 12" pad (this is ONE of the three pads I am desperately trying to use up before purchasing another.  AND, even though I made 10 of these, there is barely any used up.  Ou vey... this is going to be a long year!)
• Cinnamon Organdy ribbon
• Cranberry Ink by Colorbox
• Sentiment by Hero Arts

 

Another Midweek Throwdown...

 

A no sentiment card for the current Midweek Throwdown.  I used scrap paper from my endless supply.  Each banner is 3.5" long and cut in varying widths.  I covered the ends with a 5.25" x 1" strip and a 5.25"  x .25" strip.  The f'lower is from a copics class I took at my LSS several months ago.  I didn't know what to do with it but it works well here... don't you think?

 

Crafting Resolutions for 2013...

I resolve to...

• Continue challenge to make 5 Christmas Cards a month, but start now
• Use two of the three 12" x 12" Christmas pads before purchasing another (just passed the second Christmas with these but proud I haven't succumbed to the ones on sale now)
• Use the 8.5" x 11" multi packs till gone

• Use 20 spools of ribbon (without replacing)
• Find a way to "see" my acrylic stamps and therefore use them
• Organize my new craft space efficiently
• Be more vocal on the blogs I follow
• Watermark my creations
• Make and use a lightbox

 Are there any YOU think I should add?
 

Top ten favorite cards of 2012...

 

 

This was indeed a difficult task, picking my top ten favorite of 2012.  There were some that immediately got nixed because they had just been used two weeks ago when I was Featured Cardmaker for OWH.  Here are ten I liked for different reasons and in no particular order...

 

 

Butterfly card CASE'd from Pinterest.  I LOVED this but only made two... posted 4-16-12

 

 

One of the classes I took at my LSS in 2012, was this class using Northwoods stamps and Copics.  I thought it was SO beautiful but only made one.  I did however, purchase the stamp and have no logical reason for not making it again... posted 5-2-12

 

 

Always a favorite for me, is the Starburst....

 

 

And here it is with Christmas papers and snowflakes... posted 8-31-12

 

 

And of course, my most favorite combo... my first official blog post 1-14-12

 

 

 

A very quick card to do and one of my all time favorites.  I make several of these at a time when I do them... posted 6-13-12

 

 

 

 My entry for the Memorial Day Blog Hop... LOVED this! Posted 5-26-12...

 

 

 A technique I discovered while investigating what to do for the World Card Making Day Blog Hop.  It's called the Bargello Technique... posted 10-9-12

 

 

Another favorite of mine, the Scrappy Background.  In this one, I incorporated the sentiment into the background.  I like the effect... posted 8-2-12

 

 

And finally, I learned this year how to turn a 6" x 6" pad into several cards, following another cardmakers tutorial, Kristie.  I liked the layout and colors of this one.  The most I've ever created from one pad was 21 cards.  The goal is to top that in 2013...

 

 

 So, there you have it!  Now, off to make the Best of 2013...