Stitched Christmas Tree - 2018

Part of my morning routine is watching (really more listening to) my favorite crafters (Jennifer McGuire, Sandy Allnock and AmyR) while I'm making breakfast and getting ready for work. 
Jennifer (crafting guru master) posted a Simon Says Stamps release. I loved her stitched card and I really wanted to order the die from SSS but it wasn't cost effective to order since the shipping was more than the die. I decided to make my own template for the holes and it turned out great!  The plus side was I could make the card this morning and not have to wait. 
The other great thing was going through my stash to use some mini red brads (from my scrapbooking days) and mini rhinestones. Finding some vellum was a challenge since it's not something I use. I think this will be my Christmas card for 2018!

Caring Hearts Card Drive 2018

Old Hero Arts Stamp I got at the last used stamp sale

Each year I participate in the Caring Hearts Card Drive. Cards are made for people who are in nursing homes and have no family that visits them during the holidays. This year instead of doing 1,000 as I had planned, the organizers have asked that card makers only donate 100 per person. The logistics of handling over 63,000 cards, as well as some personal family health issue, one can understand the reason to limit the amount. So I'm working on my samples and will start mass producing my cards. I have a local ladies church group that will add a personal note in each card as well. 

Memory Box stamp from the used rubber stamp sale. 

Hi there kitty cat card - 2018

I'm really trying to use all the stamps I picked up at the last 2 used rubber stamp sale. So I pulled out this set and gave it a go. It looked a little plain without a sentiment but everything I tried just didn't look right. So after putting it aside, I decide to find the smallest sentiment stamp I had randomly stamp without using my Misti. It's a little scary to free hand it because little stamps can be tricky. 

FabMo Paper Crafters Workshop October 14, 2018

FabMo Paper Crafters Workshop October 2018

Since most of the people attending the Paper Crafters group at FabMo aren't hard core card makers, I like to do different techniques. I stay away from the over the top cards which would frustrated most people if you don't know how to use all the products and tools. 
One of the biggest plus side to doing the workshops, is the elderly ladies that attend. When I asked someone (when she was just sitting there) if she needed help, she said no, I just like being around all this happy chatter. She comes every month but I think making the cards is just a bonus for her.

FabMo Paper Crafters Workshop - Perfect Pearls and Backgrounds - 2018

Perfect Pearls

The people that are attending my workshops at FabMo really like learning and practicing different stamping techniques.  The challenge is finding something I can teach, not knowing the skill level of the people attending and having enough supplies for everyone. It's not like a scrapbook/stamping store where the students usually have the basic knowledge of crafting. 
Being inspired by the stamping guru Jennifer McGuire, I broke out my Perfect Pearls powers and over sized back ground stamps. The theme for next month workshop will be backgrounds. The cards won't be flashy with all the bells and whistles, but I will be able to teach several techniques. 

October 21, 2018 at FabMo from 10:00-1:00

Mama Elephant Woof stamps and HB Card

Mama Elephant "Woof" stamps and Copic Markers

 I was asked to make a HB card with a doggie theme. I've wanted to get one of the Mama Elephant critter stamps sets (really I want the cat one) so now I had an excuse to picked up the Woof set. Took a couple test runs to get the right color combo to make the dogs look different. Not as easy as it sounds. This card is a little more fussy than my normal style, but I still think it turned out cute. 
My dog Annie is a major bed hog. The other night I called her that and she rolled on her back and stuck her tongue out at me. Really I think she was hoping for a belly rub because I was talking to her. When she does spread out, she can cover the whole length of the bed and pin me to a very narrow edge of the bed. I'm luck Annie moves around a lot during the night, so I just have to wait for her to over heat and she heads down to the floor. 

Spat Backgrounds 2018

I borrowed a friend's MFT Distressed Patterns stamp set to make the bird poop for my "Oops My Bad" card.  As I was cleaning up my work space I thought I would make some backgrounds. I was very carefully not to over lap the colors when I accidentally drop the stamping block I was using. It looked pretty cool, so 3 hours later (my space didn't get cleaned up) I played with stamping spats all over everything. Now the task of thinking what to put over the spats!

Oops My Bad Card 2018

I saw a card on Pinterest a few weeks ago by Julie Ebersole and wanted to case it. I don't have any of the stamps but thought I could find something in my stash. It wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. First I thought I could just draw the images but that didn't work out to well. Even draw the lines wasn't come out to well either. What makes the card if the "Oops, My Bad" sentiment, which of course I didn't have either and I don't own a printer. Yes, I know I live in a cave for not owning a printer but I use one so infrequently that the ink dries out and makes the printer useless. I was almost going to give up when I opened one of the drawers to my printer's cabinet (has a lot of drawers) looking for something else when I saw my alphabet beads and the light bulb went on! Now the card makes sense to those crafting buddies who wondered why I was making a bird pooping card! :)

Thanks JE for the inspiration!

Tile Back Ground Hacks

When I watch my favorite craft bloggers, they always have nice backgrounds for their cards. During one of Tim Holtz's video set ups, he showed his background to be a piece of laminate floor that looks like planks of wood. So for me the light bulb went on and I started my search for a good back drop. I volunteer at FabMo every month and they get in all sorts of cool stuff. I rummaged around the tile section and found this square mosaic tile. It's has a flat finish, so doesn't reflect any light, and has an interesting design. Going to give this a try on my next photo shoot. 

Marble Craft Mat. Large shell I use to hold misc bits. 

While I was looking for background tile, I found this large 24"X12"marble tile, sort of reminded me of the Tim Holtz glass craft mat that's all the rage right now. I had decided not to get the Tim Holtz mat since I don't really have the space for it and I'd rather spend my stamping money on something else. The surface is easy to clean, the price was right and makes a nice backdrop for photos. Guess this is my semi hack of Tim's mat. :)

Sea Glass Card 2018

For over 30 years (maybe even longer) I love walking along the beach and collect sea glass. It was always in the back of my mind to turn the glass in jewelry, but I realize jewelry making isn't something I enjoying doing. 
So this week after checking out a ton of Pinterest posts, I dived in and made a card. What I did find out it takes a lot of glass to make one card. Looking for the right shapes is like working a puzzle and knowing there are pieces missing. This card was made for one of my creative mentor. She who takes her dog to the beach every Sunday to play in the ocean and I know she will appreciate the thought behind this card. 

Mama Elephant - Whale details

A few people have asked about my Mama Elephant whale card so here's a photo of all the parts that went into making the card. You really can't see the stamp of the whale but it's has a wood block design, which I think makes the whale look scary. When I first stamped it, I didn't like it at all. I decided to color it in with a black copic marker and give it a googly eye. I got the stamp set at Joann Fabrics when it was on sale, an impulse buy. The stamp set doesn't stamp too well so you will have to plan to use either a stamp tool (Misti) or plan to color in the uneven area. Used my Misti to stamp the sentiment, which I had to stamp a few times. 
I sponged the background using an old sponge. I just to heavy handed to use the Tim Holtz blending tool. I have a box full of old sponges I've used for years in the classes I teach. They have held up really well and work for me. Think they came from the dollar store several years ago. 
I added some Wink of Stella to the waves and  whale spout. which you really can't see in the photo. 

FabMo Paper Crafters Workshop - 2018

FabMo Paper Crafters Workshop 9/16/18

Sunday is my normal day to get all my creative projects done. I do a workshop for FabMo once a month as a mini fundraiser. I donate my time and all the supplies. 
Since I never know the level of the craftiness of people coming to the workshop, it takes a lot of time to come up with projects that can get done in a few hours, look good and won't mess up my tools or supplies. 
I'm now on the hunt for 2mm googly eyes for the snail. That would be the icing on the cake!