11.27.2014

Christmas Creations on Thanksgiving!

Hello Everyone!
I have been busy enjoying my week off of teaching, and playing with all my new purchases from Simon Says Stamps! I know, it's Thanksgiving, but I have some down time until all the cooking starts. And believe me, after company leaves, I'll be creating more! Take a look at my newest creations:
Are they cute? I found this digital stamp here.  Using my copic markers I made him blue, and her pink! Matted with Pink cardstock on a black card. 
This is one of my newest purchases from Simon Says. It has a stamp, die set, and a stencil that match! Look here. the sentiment is from Hero Arts - CL540. I used some glitter paper and outlined the pieces with a black marker.
 I pulled out a favorite background stamp from Hero Arts. I heat embossed it with gold powder. I applied three distress inks with a blender pad, and added a die cut from Wplus9. and don't forget the fiber.
  I pulled out a favorite background stamp from Hero Arts again with white embossing powder, and added the sentiment from Simon Says.
  I pulled out a favorite background stamp from Hero Arts again with white embossing powder, and added the sentiment from Wplus9.
 The sentiment is from Simon Says.
 The sentiment from the same set: Simon Says.


I am having so much fun re-arranging my craft room, and playing with my new purchases. (Don't tell my husband) but Santa has placed two more orders for Cindy's stamping Obsession. But they will be under the tree for Christmas from the kids.

11.21.2014

Personalized: Custom made stamp!

Just arrived! Bought it online. I can't believe I've been making cards this long without a signature stamp.I ordered it from: Custom Stamp Place

11.19.2014

Organization of Dies Using my Cricut!


Hello!
I can't express how satisfying it is to envision an organizational idea in my head, and have it come to reality just as I thought it would! I created this WHOLE project myself. (I can be rather stubborn) when I get stuck on something. Here is the problem:

Problem: Need to set up a current organizational system to store my dies that is NOT expensive. and easy to update in the future. NO 3-ring binders or pages. I want something I can flip through and store upright. It must be expandable to incorporate all my future purchases.  I HATE labeling things with those stupid white strips. (everyone uses them - thanks Jennifer McGuire!) I refuse. I want images and pictures.
Solution: Using my cricut, and some magnetic sheeting that my loving husband uses at work, I DON'T have to follow every other card maker's system I see on the internet, and I can have a system that I can call my own. (and share with you).
Tutorial:
I ran across this pad of paper on the sale rack at Walmart. the sale sticker read: "$5.00" by when the check out girl rang it up it read: "$2.50". (what a deal!). This paper is very pretty and seems thicker than other paper I have. 

On the internet I found the SVG of a envelope I liked. It was 3.75" by  4.75", This was just big enough for all my dies. Here is a screen shot:
I put two to a sheet. The dashed lines are perforations that will make the folding easier.


Here are two yellow envelopes after the cricut cut them out. I love how the paper gets darker from top to bottom.
 I folded the envelope and used strong adhesive to seal the edges. The magnetic sheet is on the right cut 3.5" by 4.5".
 I placed my "hello" dies (large and small) together for one envelope. and slid it into the envelope.


 This is the original packaging that the large die came in. (I cut and taped the small die info on it). I cut the front of the package to fit on the front of my new envelope.
Here is the finished product. (only four pictured) I just have to find a container to hold them all now. (or maybe I will create one... lol) I have cut out 30 envelopes thus far all different colors. My collection is small, but I am sure it will grow. I hope I gave you ideas to make your system your own. I will be happy to share the SVG file with you or anything else you want to know, if you leave me a comment. 

Now, I can move on to a new clear stamp system and a system to organize and store my paper scraps too. Stay tuned for more to come!



11.13.2014

Here it is! My HUGE Simon Says Stamp Order!

Here it is! Here is the order I mentioned earlier in the week. I got an unexpected bonus from my excellent evaluations and I splurged on a Simon Says Stamp Order! I have to put in a disclaimer here. I NEVER order this much stuff! I never have! I watch these videos on YOUTUBE that goes on for 20 minutes about all these products that people purchase. All I get out of those is a sense of utter jealously! I say to myself" Man, It would be nice if I could afford all those items in one huge order."  

Well here I am! I got the chance! I LOVE Simon Says Stamps. Very well packaged, and came very quickly! I am very pleased. Take a look:
Quikstik, Wink of Stella Clear, & Penny Black Love and Joy set

SSS snow stencil, SSS star stencil, Wplus9 Hand Snowflake Backdrop, SSS Layered Trees stamp, stencil and die

4 Holiday SSS stamp sets and two large word dies!

Hero Arts Message with Flourish, Paper Smooches Word Salad, Wplus9 Hand Lettered Holiday
stamp & die and some clear sequins

I am so excited to get to use all these products. I still feel a bit guilty, but I know I deserve it. I work hard at my job, and I deserve to treat myself once in a while. Keep you eye out for these items in my upcoming cards! Thanks for stopping by!


11.11.2014

Veteran's day Duo!

Happy Veteran's Day!




Being a teacher has its perks. Getting a Tuesday off is one of them! I have been organizing and prepping my craft room for the holidays! I ran across this adorable stamp and enjoyed these cards with my copics. This stamp set is from Stampendous, entitled Snowman Flurry, (2010)


11.08.2014

Frugal Storage for Embossing powders

Hello Friends,
This weekend, I was bound and determined to get organized so that I could produce some Holiday cards! As I was cleaning my workspace, there was embossing powder EVERYWHERE! I then thought "I need a dedicated space for embossing AWAY from my workspace", so that I won't get powder all over it again.

Then I remembered a blog entry I came across from Jennifer McGuire. I loved her idea and storage method, but I thought I could go smaller and cheaper. Click here for her storage method.

Then I ran across this blog entry. I loved her small containers. I evened owned some of those green lid containers. I knew how expensive they were, and how difficult it is to take the tops off without spilling the contents. uggghhh.

So, off to the dollar store I went. Here is what I found!
Sterilite 1969
Sterilite  1969 Clear

Sterilite 1969
Perfect for my powders!

storage solution embossing powders Sterilite 1969
Six for a dollar each!
They were a dollar each and the tops are snapped on with the handles. I also found these:
Bag of spoons for a buck!
Pack of regular spoons for a dollar. I knew they were too long for the containers. I thought I could snap the handle in half, or cut them to make them shorter. I liked the idea of velcro rather than the expensive clips that Jennifer used. Again, a dollar.
Velcro to adhere the spoon to the underside of each lid
six containers, six spoons
Here is the final product:
storage solution embossing powders
Velcro holds the spoon to the underside of the lid

storage solution embossing powders
finished product!
storage solution embossing powders
I was excited to show this frugal way to store your embossing powders. This set of 6 colors cost me a total of $8.00. I think I may have to go back and pick up 6 more containers.....hmmm.

11.06.2014

Just before my Cruise!

I totally forgot to post these cards. I enjoyed creating these. I created these before my cruise.









11.05.2014

Day One Online Card Making class!

As I mentioned in the previous post, I signed up for a Online Card Making class. I am SO excited to be a student of these amazing teachers in this industry.
      On the whole, I feel I have a strong handle on the card makers whose blogs are leading the way in this industry. I love the influence these blogs have on the direction this craft takes. I have watched as companies like Stampin' up and Close to my heart were the leaders in the stamp set production realm. for a long time other small companies simply could not compete with these stamp producers. I was wrapped up in these larger companies too. I so looked forward to their catalogs and placing a huge one time order for the sets I wanted.
      Oh so slowly, I have watched these key card makers push side their once go-to stampin' up inks in their creations, and begin to introduce other smaller brands on their cards. In addition these women began to sell off their bulky wooden Stampin' up sets, and moved toward the slim, easy to store, clear stamps sets. As an avid video watcher, I, too, began turning my attention away from paper catalogs, and began placing online orders for the newest polymer clear stamp sets. My trips to Joann's decreased, and my shopping carts online began to fill up. I have purchased digital stamps in addition to my orders to growing online warehouses.
     This week I signed up for the newest Holiday Card Class offered by Online Card Classes. I was not surprised that the handful of blogs I have been following for the last 6-8 months are the same women who are the teachers for this class. They are incredibly talented and versatile in their ability to create stunning artwork with any stamp sets put before them. (a skill I have not acquired...yet)
     Anyway, I really enjoyed the first lesson, and I got enough time to create and post my sample:


     I have been working diligently to improve my skills, and widen my arsenal of techniques available in my tool belt. I thought "I am ready for this BIG league class". Boy, I have a lot more to learn. Not only are the topics ambitious, but the students' samples blow my abilities away. (Not to mention their quickness to post their creations before I even watch the lessons). Even after day 1, I have come to one stunning realization that made me feel a bit better. Many of these teachers (as well as students) can post so quickly because they do not have a full time job in a demanding field as I do. Many of these talented people are stay at home moms or they work from home. They can re-arrange their schedule to accommodate these time consuming lessons.
     I love my teaching. I cannot imagine doing anything else for a living. But with that said, I am very jealous of women who have the ability to stay home to raise their children, and can function on one income. Even with two incomes, the sheer expense of my paper crafting obsession is difficult to swallow when we are pulled in so many directions (medical, living, vacation, and high auto expenses just to name a few) As much as I want to keep up with all these students, I simply cannot. Coming home at 5:00pm, making dinner, eating, cleaning, watching the videos eats up my entire evening. I need to make lunch for the next day and go to bed at a reasonable hour to function. I am slowly falling behind. Good thing I am able to take several days for each lesson. (I guess the majority of the pressure is self-imposed) Maybe the lessons should be every OTHER day, make it a 10 day class, rather than 5. (just thinking aloud).
I showed this to my husband and his first words were "plain and boring". He didn't understand that the lesson was about "easy to duplicate" cards. So yes, it is plain, but it is easy to make many! I will improve some as the week goes on. Wish me luck!

Family cruise!

Hello everyone!
I must be the luckiest girl in the world. I just returned home from a fabulous family cruise, just in time for the Online class I signed up for! First things first....cruise!




We loved the ports: Belize, Rotan, Costa Maya and Cozumel. We did a segway excusion, a snuba adventure, and zip-lining! What a blast!