Seongsook's 8th Birthday Celebration Week...

 

We had a week of challenges in Seongsook's Stampers to celebrate eight years since a group. One challenge a day between July and July. I managed to do ALL of them...

Simon Says Stamp CREATE Event April 2023

 

I attended Simon Says Stamp's CREATE event in Columbus, OH on April 21st and 22nd of this year. It was amazing! These are the cards I made at each of the stations I attended. There were so many tables that I did not sit at to create the make and take. I returned home to TN on April 23rd and my father passed away on the 24th. That turned my world upset down while I tried to get my bearings in a world of which my father is no longer a part. 

The Spellbinders table was assembling flowers that had been die-cut from the Be Bold Blooms set that I've had for awhile and of which I've done nothing. I had so much fun making this that I DID come home, broke out the set, and have been cutting, and cutting and cutting. Soon, I'll assemble. The elephant card is a die by Hero Arts. I did purchase the rainbow washi at the bottom of the card because I <3 rainbows. The monster card was not something I'd generally like but this looked like fun. I really enjoyed the process. I can't remember who ran this table. I believe it was either a Canadian or UK company...

Most of these I can't remember who hosted. That's what happens when you don't post about it for a month. The iris was a layered stamp by the Kitchen Sink and the squirrel stamp was demoed by Fleurette Bloom of Ink on Three. Other than that, I'm at a loss. Anyone who is reading this, feel free to fill in my blanks...

The rainbow with the big "hello" was at the Gina K table... wicked fun! This one I will do again! The roller-skate was by Dare 2B Artzy and the pineapple was Brutus Monroe... after that, I'm lost again.

These two were from my most favorite table, Doodlebug Creations. I LOVED this!! I purchased some papers and ephemera but now I'm afraid I won't remember what we did. Here's hoping that just looking at this picture will remind me... :)

I was beyond delighted with what I came home with! The Ernman went to Columbus with me that weekend and we stayed with his old boss, Anna and her husband. When I wasn't at CREATE, we had a blast! And while I was at CREATE, the Ernman met up with former co-workers. Soooo, win win!! 

My Annual Scrappy Background Fest...

 

My annual Scrappy Background Fest! Part of me was saying, just skip it this year, it's been too hectic. But once I sat down and separated all the pieces in my little box that lives by my Genesis cutter, I couldn't stop! I made ten... :)

 

THEN, I transformed these nine into cards. My stash is growing again... YAY!!

A week or so later, I added another three...

Last year's post can be seen HERE with my process... 

Random Christmas Cards

The final push for Christmas cards, made over the last seven weeks. We have enough for personal cards but everyone will be getting something different. With the kitchen renovation and now the downstairs bathroom remodel at our new home in TN, it's been difficult to get into a good creative swing. It'll be so good to start 2023 back doing my challenge of five Christmas cards a month... :)

Card Kits from Etsy...

 

I could not have been more pleased with these kits I purchased through a gal on Etsy back in August. I enjoyed putting them together and I truly love all the detail...

This one was my favorite. You make four in each kit. I purchased two kits because I knew I'd love to send them out...

This seems a very "Spring" card so they'll sit for awhile before they go postal...

Such a lovely "relax" card...

Various Happy Mails Turned into Cards

 

I joined a Facebook group a year ago that is all about Happy Mail. The past couple days, I've turned some of the contents into these cards...

This was an old wall paper strip that I cut into the two panels. I cut each with a stitched die, added bling, a sentiment and mounted on Cherry Cobbler SU paper... 

I added some splatters to the card on the left and I feel like I ruined it. The card on the right, I'm not even sure what it was before I used the stitch die on it. The woman who gave it calls it a Hunky Dory. Whether that's the brand or the bird is unclear. To me, this looks like a Meadow Lark...

The card on the left might be my favorite. The background was from a woman in Canada who's been playing around with her inks and stamps. The BUTTERFLY has been floating around my desk for two years. I'm not even sure where he's from anymore. The card on the right is another panel from the same woman in Canada; stitch died, add bling and twine, a sentiment and mounted on teal...

This was my background from the "Partials Box" and the center piece from a Happy Mail. I'm not usually happy with One Of A Kind cards (OOAK). I like making three of each but, these are simple and will probably be sent in the same Happy Mail group from which they were received...

Random Cards from Random Places...

I need all these cards documented somewhere so here's what I've been up to lately...

A lot of these "parts" came from happy mails I have received from peeps in one of my Facebook groups. The peacock from Carol in Canada, I cut down and matted on gold and then purple. The background of the "THINKING OF YOU" and the "kisses" card came from Melanie in NC. The centerpiece on the top, the "THINKING OF YOU" sentiment and the sunflower are from other happy mails that I no longer remember who sent what. The "kisses" is a new to me die from Altenew...

These five were following a YouTube tutorial by Amy's Wares where she took an average patterned paper and used a 3D embossing folder to deeply emboss it. I tried it with a lavender paper and posted on my Instagram on September 4th (cindyrapson). I cranked out these five rather quickly with an embossing folder that looked like wheat called Linear Leaves. So very Fall to me... 

These were made from a kit I purchased on Etsy solely because of the fox images. I've got a friend who will LOVE receiving these...

It's been great replenishing a much depleted stash...

Does the DSP ever end????

My goodness!! Six months since I've done a blog post... yikes!! Anyway, we're all moved in to our new house in Tennessee. Not settled, but moved in. This past weekend, I finally found enough room in my future space to make these eighteen cards. My gosh how great that felt!! 

My goal was to try, really try to finish up one of these four Designer Series papers that I have. I didn't succeed but I'm very pleased to have a stash of birthday cards to use...

Another stab at the same DSP... 

I LOVED these the best! So very "Maine" to me...

April 2020 SheetLoad of Cards...

 

I didn't "find" SheetLoad of Cards by Call Me Crafty Al until February of 2021 but this one popped up on my YouTube feed and I LOVED it! Absolutely loved it! So, using a Stampin' Up Designer Series paper called Berry Delightful and the SheetLoad of April 2020,  I got to work...

This combo, I think, is my favorite...

These red bling from Gina Marie Designs are boom diggity! 

I loved the white bling as much as the red from Gina Marie Designs. All six of these cards helped fill a void in my stash. With moving to Tennessee on the horizon, my focus has been elsewhere. I'm very happy to replenish and get these cards postal... 

My old stand-by... Scrappy Backgrounds

I made about a dozen Scrappy Backgrounds over the weekend while the Ernman was watching football. THEN, on Monday and Tuesday, I turned these seven into cards. Now, my mission (should I choose to accept it) is to get these postal... well, all except that "pumpkin" one. That'll have to wait until fall. ;)

So, let me share my process. I start with this plastic canvas box the Ernman made me (shown in upper left) which sits just above my Genesis cutter. I put all strips from projects or pretty paper that I find interesting. Once that box is full, I organize the strips in front of me in rainbow order, than neutrals to the right and multi colors right in the front...

As I decide which color I want to make, ie: red, blue, black, orange, I incorporate strips of the same background paper INTO the piece. Working on typing paper, I cover the typing paper with adhesive so every strip I lay down has adhesive it will sit on. I start with one color in the top left corner going kitty-corner, about and inch or so down from the top. From there, going perpendicular, all pieces will butt up against it. Going back to the kitty-corner strip, I fill in until all typing paper is covered. I leave NO open space between pieces...

 

The two pieces on the right show what the piece looks like after the edges that hang over have been trimmed off. At this point, I dry emboss the piece which firmly cements those strips to the typing paper. In my opinion, this is what brings this Scrappy Background to a whole new level. Then it's mounted on a 3.75" by 5" colored cardstock matching what's in the piece. The two on the left show that piece mounted on a 4.25" by 5.5" (A2) cardstock. Six of the seven in the first photo were put directly on a white card base...

Before I put this one on the white card base, I added the orange twine, the pumpkin ephemera and bling. Many times, Scrappy Backgrounds just blow my mind. That's what happened with this creation. Many times, I leave the finished piece as is until I decide what kind of card I may need. A lot become "Hello", "Happy Birthday" or even "Merry Christmas". I've been making Scrappy Backgrounds for YEARS so if you search "Scrappy Background" for this blog, you'll find many. I hope you have as much fun with this as I do. Thank you for your interest...

Finished Christmas Cards Prior to Year End...

These dozen I completed between Christmas and New Year's. They are like others I did during the year but they weren't completely finished in time to send. The ATC's in the front are still in need of a sentiment but... not today. It was delightful to have the time to finish these this week, so I did. :)

From the October 2021 Paper Pumpkin kit, and previous post. I had enough envelopes to make five more...

Finished Scrappy Backgrounds that are a quick and easy card. Add twine, bling and sentiment and bada boom! More Christmas cards...

This one, the background was completed from a video I watched of Nina-Marie Trapani's a couple months ago. The struggle here was die-cutting this Concord and 9th mistletoe three times and stacking them. Ou vey!

And a napkin card completed...

Off and running tomorrow with my annual challenge to make a minimum of five Christmas cards each month... who's with me? And, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Paper Pumpkin Christmas Kit...

As I finished working with the October 2021 Paper Pumpkin kit, I was soooo delighted! I followed tutorials from a couple different peeps who showcase doing alternative cards with the supplies in the kit. By the end, I had made thirty cards (with makings for five more) AND completed matching envelopes. I have a challenge for myself to make five Christmas cards a month during the year but had missed two months in a row, which made me feel short supplied...

These two are what the kit was supposed to make, five of each. I made one each...

I made one each of these three. They didn't knock my socks off but I'm happy to have them for my stash...

This one, I thought, was very, very clever. The kit comes with ten envelopes that are embossed with the silver trees on the bottom. Creative Chelsea, on YouTube, cut each envelope into thirds and created this. I found it to be very elegant! I made five but have five other envelopes that can also be broken apart..

These three, I absolutely loved and made three each! The first card on the left was using the negative space of the vellum trees, which are on card number three here on the right. I thought this was SOOOOOO clever! 

The last task of this month, is to get these addressed and postal. Then, I can start ALL OVER again in January with my challenge to "Make Five Christmas Cards a Month"... who's with me?

Random Cards...

These were made when I attempted to do the "Crushing on Cardstock" class back in August. The class ran from August 23rd thru the 27th. I only did the first couple classes and then waited for some other supplies to arrive before I would finish. The next thing I knew, another two months had passed. I want to send these so I need them documented somewhere. Hence, the "Random Cards" post...

These two were very clever. We used Glad Press'n Seal (invented by Jennifer McGuire's husband) and cardstock spacers to keep the pieces exactly spaced the same. The Press'n Seal keeps the pieces together while we flipped it to add dimension. I liked this but, I think next time, I won't add the dimension. I think it's a pretty simple card but delivers a great punch... 

The one on the left kicked my butt. The one on the right, I look forward to doing again in black and white...

At this point, two and a half months later, I predict I won't get back to this class until the new year. What a putz!

Sugar Pea Designs WONKY Cake...

This set by Sugar Pea Designs called "Bring on the Cake", originally came out in June of 2016. I purchased not soon after that and used the stamp set to make a variety of cards. THIS time, I used the coordinating die set to make these cakes. When watching the Patriots football game over this past weekend, I thought I'd multi-task and just die-cut, and die-cut and die-cut. As I put these together this week, I realized that it would have been smarter (and MUCH quicker) to pick the patterned papers first, then die-cut coordinating solid color papers. BUT, when do I ever do anything the easy way?? Anyway, five more birthday cards for my stash and absolute delight that I used an OLD set to make it happen... :)

Autumn Cards from Partial's Box

Working on my box of partials, here's three Autumn cards...

This one was a background I did at a friend's house in Columbus in what FEELS like decades ago, although it was only pre-pandemic. The added leaves are a new acquisition that I've had a BLAST die-cutting a bazillion... who knew?!!

This one is actually a one of a kind (OOAK). The background was done in a class with Brutus Monroe at Junkie Fest 2018. I haven't known what to do with the foiled piece, until now...

This is a Mod Podged napkin from ions ago. Why it took so long to turn it into a card is beyond me. BUT, a quick card nonetheless...

So, three more things out of my Partial's Box makes for a Happy Camper! Craft on peeps...