Masculine Cards

Hey Everyone,
     I spent time in my craft room today with only one real task in mind. I wanted to make masculine birthday cards, and I wanted to use alcohol inks. Sounds easy, right? Nope. I found that although I love the blending and randomness of the alcohol inks, I can never get a background image that I am TOTALLY happy with. I get so close, and never get it just right. So, I get frustrated. Today, I told myself that no matter what I create, I must suck it up and use it in a card. Here are the results. I would LOVE comments.

 I love this sentiment, but it was so large, I never knew what to do with it. Here is a use! My husband says it isn't masculine at all. humft.

 This one by far is my favorite. As you can see my background isn't perfect, but it works. The twine is a very masculine touch.

Ok, this one is a bit busy for me. but I am happy with the end result. What do you think?

I love this piggy! I found him as a digital stamp from: from the heart stamps. I tried cutting him out and placing him on my busy background. It works!

Duos: Summer goes too fast!

Hey everyone!

I am not going to bore you with how busy I have been, and how I have not been able to spend time in my craft room until the END of my summer. As much as I love card making, and crafting, there are other items that must have my attention so that I can craft. Anywho....

I made a vow to accomplish 3 craft items this summer. (Only three, you are thinking?) Wait until you hear these.....BIG!

Item 1: I will RE-CREATE  my Christmas list. Somehow my digital Christmas database went POOF! Granted, I only had 20-25 names in it, but still. I texted, called, left messages, and face-booked everyone I needed to track down and asked them for their current address. Why you ask? I am going to make handmade Christmas cards this summer, and have them ready to mail to everyone in my database! (I told you....BIG)

Item 2: I will  CREATE (from my Christmas list) a BIRTHDAY list! I took only relatives, and dear friends off the Christmas list, and created a birthday list with addresses and dates. (not the year, silly) Why you ask? I am going to make handmade birthday cards for everyone for the next 12 months, seal, stamp and have them ready to go with the date on them, so to mail them out a week early!

Item 3: I want to create EXTRA birthday cards to pass on to our school based SUNSHINE committee so that every Sunshine committee member gets a hand made card this year! (I can dream, right). How many teachers join the Sunshine committee? About 50.

 

Status:

• I am missing 2-3 people on my Christmas list, but otherwise, it is DONE!
• I have completed my birthday list and finished cards for July through December. 1/2 DONE!
• I have a handful of Extra birthday cards started, which I am sharing with you here. 1/2 DONE!

Pretty good, and school starts up again in three weeks!

 

On to the cards. Disclaimer: I am having a tough time with picture taking. I tried these photos 3 times. with two different cameras. (my phone, and my 6 year old stand alone) So please bear with me. These pictures are not my best, but I can't seem to get better shots right now.

 

 

I need to make more masculine birthday cards. I always gravitate to girly - pretty cards. So I went surfing for masculine cards, and came across this digital stamp set. I LOVE this chick! He came with a bunch of sentiments that go along with the stamp. I used the same one here twice. The site is called: From the heart digital Stamps. I purchased a few other ones too, as you will see. I am book marking this site for sure!

Duo Set Two:

 

Again, this masculine card digital stamp is created by From the heart digital Stamps. I don't know if you can see, but the foam is puff paint, and the glass is shiny. Although I used beer, you can make it kid-friendly and call it root beer! (lol)


Duo Set Three:

 

 

Ok, these are a set of three cards, not a duo, but I am SO EXCITED about this, and I will tell you why! I splurged and bought a subscription to A CARD MAKING KIT subscription. For a monthly fee, a BRAND new set of stamps and materials with matching accessories comes to my door from SIMON SAYS STAMPS. (I love them). These cards are from the AUGUST kit. (it comes mid-July) and I created these adorable cards from the kit. I even had to purchase new copic markers to get the cones just right. (I had no browns in my collection of 10 markers) I love the way they POP and the bright summer colors in the papers.

 

Thanks for joining me, see you soon!

School is Out! Summer Vacation is here!

Hello everyone,
I am so sorry that I am not able to keep my blog up and running while I am teaching. It simply cannot be done. I am wondering if keeping a blog seasonally is possible. I noticed that as soon as I stop adding new content, my new comments cease, and the incoming spam increases. I thought that even if I am not adding new content, people would continue to visit past posts and still leave comments. (I know I do on other blogs I visit). So why don't they do that to mine? That is very puzzling to me that the blog world does not work like that. Anyhow...

I am pleased to say that I have an abundance of free time on my hands now, and I am itching to get crafting. But before school let out, I did one last project with my students that I wanted to share. It was amazingly easy to create, and the affect was huge.

I told the students to pick one of the card designs, assemble the card, and on a separate piece of paper, I had them write out a message to any teacher (except me) that they wanted to say thank you to for all they did this year. I helped them form their ideas, and I approved them, and typed them up. (there was no time to have them type them up themselves, although I wanted to have them do it) They glued the messages in, and decorated the envelope. We even practiced how to approach a teacher and deliver a thank you card. So many of the students were not sure how to do that. In the end, they were very pleased with themselves, and I know the teachers were touched by the gesture.

Here are three of the card designs that they could choose from. I created them in publisher, saved them as .pdfs, and printed them on the school's color laser printer four to a page. They were 4 1/4 by 4 1/4. I have learned that students don't write much, and small is cute! :) Not to mention less expensive. I even created matching envelopes with my Envelope Punch Board.

The students could choose any background color they wished, and then they adhered that to the card base. The combinations were fun! The center one was created and abandoned by a student. It is glued askew, but I used it anyway.  he he. Enjoy!

Card Making in my Classroom!

This holiday season, I brought three boxes of Christmas Crafting supplies to my classroom and gave the students a chance to make 2 cards each. It was a huge success! Everyone had a great time, only one student out of about 50 declined. I invited many of the neighboring classrooms to send students to my room to join in the fun! It was a blast to see what the students came up with using all the materials I provided. They each received two card bases (they chose the colors) and two envelopes. Then they could write, color, stamp glue and stamp anything anywhere they wished on the card. I provided ribbons, inks, stamps, images, punches, and tons of cardstock and stickers galore! (see the pictures) What creativity!

  

This Week is G-O-N-E!

Hello Everyone,
I am so excited with all the items I completed over this holiday. But I am so sad, that it is almost OVER. I do have a few more cards to post. I cleaned up my deshelved craft room, and I have one more order coming from Dick Blick. I did...I ordered a few more copic markers. It was a dire necessity! I do not have the proper colors I need to complete my Christmas cards! (My husband did not understand it either) Enough chatter, onto the creation!

WOW, you can really see the sparkle in the embossing powder I used in this photo. SO cool! I have been taking my photos outside for the last few pictures, and I am very happy with the results. It seems like all my indoor photos are dark and blurry lately.

I dug out my four (yes, only four) cricut cartridges and looked for anything holiday related. I use my computer with SCAL2.  I found this word "JOY". I cut it out in two different sizes about 12 times in black and my snowflake paper. I glued 4 together for each one to give them some depth. They look great!

Then I used my MOTIVET stamp called "Three Ornaments" and raised them up with glue dots after I colored them with copics, and glittery embossing powder. I am so pleased with the look. Clean and simple.

I went online to check out the MOTIVET company, and I fear they are not doing so well. They are no longer traveling to craft conventions, and their website is in neglect. :(. I really enjoyed their booth at the last stampfest I went to.

Stay tuned, I have more to come!