My five for October

 

I rarely am able to do a challenge when it's first presented.  Just a slow poke, I guess.  I need to savor the thought and think it thru a little, THEN I tackle it.  This is a Tuesday Tutorial from the Operation Write Home website from two weeks ago and it fits in with my challenge to make five Christmas cards a month.  I have no idea where the paper came from (it just appeared in my stash when I was unpacking) but it's delightful.  Ernie and his son Ben helped me fold some of the tree pieces.  As we were doing this I thought, "Wouldn't this be a great family project for our own Christmas cards?"  :)

Classes in three states...

 

Last Tuesday I took a class at my NEW Local Scrapbooking Store (LSS) called Scrappers Cove located in Milltown, NJ.  It was a technique class that ran from 10am to 2pm.  These are three of the four cards we did...

 

The following day, Wednesday, I stopped at an LSS in Connecticut to take a class at Treasured Moments located in Watertown.  In this class, the instructor guides us thru all sorts of steps to get to this end tag.  When class is finished, we get a printout of all the details we just did and can adhere the tag to it and keep in a notebook.  I have taken two other classes here and I think this is such a wicked awesome offering!  If ever I want to do it again, I do NOT need to rely on my memory...

Then on Thursday, I took a Project Life class at my OLD LSS Absolutely Everything located in Topsfield, Massachusetts.  These classes come in threes.  I signed up for and took them last March, April and May.  I loved it so much that I told the instructor, I would return after I moved to take them again.  Especially since my new LSS has not jumped on the Project Life bandwagon.  SO, I made the trek...

Aimee (the instructor) is so personable and very, very talented.  In the foreground, on the left, is my red album with the "kit" on top that we get at each class (not the tape runners or little book box).  We then spend the next two hours learning some journaling techniques and making little cards to put in the pockets.  I can't begin to tell you how much I love this class... although it must be evident since I drove five hours to be at it!  ...lol

 

A few more for Donna...

 

A few more to send to South Carolina with my sister-in-law.  See previous post...

 



The Inevitable Scrappy Background

 

During those months that I visited South Bound Brook during the renovation, I spent many a weekend making Scrappy Backgrounds since there was very little else that could be done.  Fortunately for me, it is a task that I thoroughly enjoy.  I now have a pile of about fifty.  My

sister-in-law Donna is visiting for a huge family event this weekend and she asked if I could make her a couple cards to give to a friend in her church who would send them to shut-ins.  I gave her my pile of Scrappy Backgrounds and told her to pick some that appealed to her.  I then turned them into cards.  That was pretty fun!  I tried the Triple Time technigue with the one on the right, interesting effect I thought.  I like how rounding the corners and punching a border on the one on the left made for such a different look.  My brain is churning trying to come up with another group for her to take back before she leaves next Wednesday...



Antique Cards

 

I took a Book Binding Class taught by Melissa Frances at Scrapbook Expo this past weekend, making the booklet in the center.  With some of the leftover supplies, I tried a couple cards.  Although cute, they're just not "electric" to me.  I'll keep at it though.  It would be awesome if I was able to use up all the extra supplies we received and not have to figure out where to put them in my new studio...

Final Christmas Shipment to OWH

 

Here's the last shipment of Christmas Cards to Operation Write Home for 2013.  AND, I'll beat the early deadline of October 15th... woo hoo!!  I will continue with the challenge to make five Christmas cards a month though, but the rest will be for my personal stash.  This would probably be a great time to start a tradition for me and Ernie to send Christmas cards to all our friends.  You know, all two of them.  JUST KIDDING!!  Are you my friend?



Make it five more...

 

Although this is an October post, I can assure you this was finished before midnight last night.  JUST under the wire of my challenge to make five Christmas cards a month.  And yes, there are five...

 

Supplies used...

• Patterned Paper from the K&Company 12" x 12" Yuletide pad
• Stampin' Up Old Olive and Very Vanilla Paper
• Recollections Speckled Red Paper
• Mistletoe Assortment from Close to my Heart
• Offray Beige ribbon