Cards Cards Cards....and More cards

Been very busy this last week.  Will be just as busy this week.  Lots of different cards being worked on and finished.

I am starting to find my groove.  I'm also going through and sorting cardstock and papers into 12x12 plastic bins, color coded.

My first fun thing this week was a little Easter Basket.  I realized as I started to look for card stock that was spring or pattern - I didn't have much.  I have lovely papers, so I put paper on cardstock. - This presented an interesting issue.  I need wide tape to cover large pieces of paper, so it doesn't come apart when I die cut.

Next set of cards a Sympathy,  Just because, and a Thinking of you cards.  I especially love how the Sympathy card floral piece really turned out.  I've started now doing a cool hack.  Every time I die cut - I cut two more of the same dies.  Now, need to figure out how to best save them since I want to use them but if they are hidden in some bin - I don't.  However, my Cinch will be here this week, and I found my card stock, I have some ideas of making my own storage books.

A couple o new hacks I am doing -layering sentiments, having fun creating art with components (the Just because I used paper and water colored paper to create the sky and the ground/hills.  And of course the butterfly - creating stained glass with multiple pieces to inset into the little open areas of the die cut.  

I can see why I want a Cricut now even more.  Cutting out those butterflies took a lot longer.  I have a lot of fonts that would be great sentiments.  And word dies are not cheap.

My last two finished cards for the week (though there are a bunch in various stages in a pile on my desk) are two Easter Cards.  Again, I love chalking.  It's just such a cool technique on any material.

I liked creating the basket out of the Dazzle and then curving it when I put it down on the card.  It gave it a nice 3d look.

Sigh - I ended up cracking the embossing folder that did the background of this card. This new rubber mat is thicker, and for some reason this time the cuttlebug sandwich was a bit too thick.  I need to figure out if I can get a replacement or fix the embossing folder.

Have a Happy Easter.

K3a - A card that just flowed nicely

I have to wonder how sometimes - a card design just flows - inspiration just rushes out of my mind and I see the card as I create the pieces, and it just comes together so nicely.  

And then at the end you look for the mistake..... or the flaw or the not quite right. (Another post for another time)

This card - worked so smoothly - flowed so easily, and I love it.

K3a - had only one real direction - having worked with me in the past = A Thinking of You card.  Free reign, open territory. 

I make card bodies all the time - basic card with some type of base paper, design or edging.  I have about 50 of them sitting off to the side just waiting. This one I covered with Mini Graphics English Rose paper and then used my Fiskars border punch - Sunburst and staggered the pattern slightly.

This one I knew as soon as I pulled it out of the pile was going to be fun.  I had die cuts and edging pieces left over from other cards, just eager to be used and within seconds I had pretty much the layout of what I wanted to do.

The little note card on the center was a piece of card stock left over from my Recollections Floral Foliage cardstock. I trimmed out the edges and then colored the corner flower with my Pebbles pearlescent chalk.   The upper edge is also from Recollections Floral Foliage.

I added the remaining Cheery Lynn Tiny flowers left over from my spring candle box (another post).  And then stamped the sentiment from Rubber Stampede - Elegant Sentiments - Thinking of You A861e.  I was so happy it turned out, so crisp.  I've been practicing on scraps of white card stock my stamping.  And yes if you don't practice daily it seems to become harder and harder.  Though I am definitely considering getting a block stamp alignment tool and a MISTI.  I know it would definitely make life a lot easier.  I have seen some DIY versions - might do... but I have a lot of wood stamps and its very hard to line those up sometimes. And no I don't plan on transitioning them into non-block stamps.  Too much work.

I used my new 4mm pearls, 2mm fuchsia and sapphire crystals finished the front, flowers and butterfly

The butterfly I cut out using the HOTP 5323 Butterflies die set out of the Recollections Floral Foliage. 

Inside I used Spellbinders S5-201 A2 Curved Borders Two to create the edging on the dark cream 32lb parchment paper and hand cut out little butterflies from the Reflection floral cardstock I had left over. The far back paper is just some random antique pink paper. I added the same pattern that the front has on the bottom and to the sides from the Reflection floral cardstock.

Added to the envelop another die cut butterfly.

Missing your friends? Looking for an easy nice cool way to say ...

Are you looking for creative and unique way to let a friend or loved one know

Thinking of  You

Get Well

Miss ya

I have plenty of open slots for commissions thanks to being staying at home during this pandemic.

Send me a message  -  to discuss a custom creative greeting card for your loved one, friend, or even just someone you think it might just cheer them up to have you send them a card

In the mean time .....

My Heartfelt Creation order arrived - Moving more into the 3-d world.

They have flower shaping molds that work with Cuttlebug.  For me I love hand made flowers on my pieces.  I especially love creating them, painting/coloring and then giving them a bit of 3-d work.

However, it's time consuming and creating more than two or three flowers at a time is a lot on my hands.

SO.... I went and got the Rose shaping mold and the Basics Shaping mold which will work with my die cutouts that I already have.  Going to use the basics today to see if I can create carnations for the K8a project.

If these turn out to be as useful as I think they will be, I am going to invest in the dies/stamps and forms for several other types.

And I have a design for the Monthly Dies R Us Challenge.  Will post tomorrow the finished piece.

K8a - This is just going to be amazing

First of all I like the fact that I know who K8a is. I know who the card is going for, and I also know that I get the opportunity to make a showcase piece that we're going to use as an example of what you can do with a card that becomes a gift in of itself.

I like making gifts - and art cards are really one of the best ways to combine gift/card.

Another way is my mini album ideas.  Bigger than a card, but not completely a full album.  Usually 5-7 pictures.

So this one is a travel album. The palette was really easy for me to pull together.  I love distressed watercolor cardstock. I wanted one page to be a little more formal so I found this distressed damask pattern in my inventory.

Next was cutting out the base which I decided to do a 10" wide which is scored at the 5" and 6" in high.  7 pieces of that.  Then I cut up the distress cardstock at 9" wide and 5 1/2" high

I did a quick layout look and feel to get an idea of what I wanted for pages.  Mind you I have a lot of work still ahead.  The blue back is going to get a light big stamp ink impression that is slightly distressed.

I have to cut out a bunch of different components to create a raised layering.  I have a lot of real amazing craft yarn to do little tails on each center section of the pages.

I need to look through my flower dies and find the carnation die and start on those components.

But I ordered the metal pieces I want to add to the book.

I have some ideas for the cover, need to order my chip board.  But I found the perfect ribbon for the lacing.

I might add some additional flat metal fleur de lis  embellishments and a lion head.

Tomorrow I am working with K8a to pick out the photos for each page so I can make the mats for the photos.  I have some ideas of some fun mats. 

Once this is done it is supposed to become a Star Mini Album.  More tomorrow.

#kickstarter #Make100 #scrapbooking #albums #travel #crafting

The best lay plans of mice and ....me

Preface: The card has been sent and I would have posted the first part earlier but I never found enough time to actually finish the post.  So this will be a two part post - first part catching up, the lessons, the pitfalls and some interesting wicked ideas. I have marked the dates that I wrote and saved the draft so I can myself figure out how best to update and when going forward.  I like sharing the journey of each card.  It really is fun.


February 25th
I've been having a hard time with this design.  It isn't that I don't have an idea.  The ideas I keep coming up with are for ornaments.  And that while it is cool, isn't a very Happy Birthday card.

I love the idea of making this into a Victorian Christmas ornament similar to another design I have done.

But no matter what I did - it still looked like a Christmas Ornament.  Once I finish it I will post to show how cool it is, but it clearly is not a Birthday Card.

February 28th

I have at least picked out the colors and started making the components.  I love this purple, but when I went to do the inset embossing in the component, well no matter how light my sandwich was, the inset impression broke the paper apart.  SIGH.

It is a frustration of mine that I can't seem to get the inset embossing sandwich to work - and with this new Anna Griffith Cuttlebug it seems even pickier.  I ended up having to rescue the mat as it curled itself around the rollers.  I never had that happen before with the previous cuttlebug.

I have kept this and want to see if I can do something to make it a little bit more creepy and use it for a friend who's birthday is Halloween.

March 5th

ARGGGGG

I love how this looks.  I love the purple flowered paper (handmade), love how it is turning out.  My 2mm new bling arrived finally and I love the long lines, makes for a nice border.  Need more colors...and pearls...

So I was about to put the Happy Birthday sentiment on and it just didn't look right.  It felt...like a let down.  So thinking now.  Birthday going inside the card

Yes I put it at an angle.  I love making corners, found this square die that I cut into for pieces after cutting it out.  Made a nice frame.  I have to set this off to the side so I can finish packing the first one and mail it off.

Lessons learned so far:

I need more practice with embossing.  Not all paper can get wet (you're supposed to mist the paper) but some of the paper I use have a sheen. That streaks and looks like well it got wet and dried.

I did manage to get most of the dies re-organized so I found some ones I hadn't used in a while.  I need to make more.  I like them... easy to make center pieces with.

Depending on the card's deadline - if I can't get something the first week, I reach back out for clarity and conversation.  I really don't work well with very limited information unless the person says 'Do anything'.

Letters - need to figure out if I am going to start using my massive font collection and print out the name - on card stock and then cut it out into some nest-abilities shape.

#greetingcards #birthdaycard #kickstarter #make100

Throwback Thursday

#ThrowbackThursday

- One of the valentine cards back sometime in 2007-2009ish I made where I really stepped out of the box and started exploring what my style is.

I realized at this point I like 3d look and feel.

K1a finished - things I learned

To see the completed card and custom envelop, I posted on Kickstarter under my #Make100 event so others can see and drool.

I am very pleased at how this turned out, and got a wonderful compliment from a friend who actually thought it was stained glass at first.  - For me that's the best compliment about the design.  And I have fallen in love with dies that I can do this with.

Like all my designs, I sat on it for 24 hours and sure enough there was a tiny little bit of bling I wanted to add...  

Things I learned

I need different types of glue for components.  The base frame on the stained glass still didn't want to stay completely flat against the card base.  

Make sure you have enough of the marble papers to do multiple versions.

Use a fabric dryer sheet for each die cut of the piece so it makes it that the pieces don't just jump off the plate.  Lots of static built up between cuts on the Cuttlebug and made it very hard to keep the pieces in the die frame so I can put them where they needed to be in the actual faux stained glass piece.

It is okay to start out with three or four design ideas to see which one actually makes it to the finish.

I need more 2mm and 3mm pearls!

Components Used:
Cuttlebug (I love it but I am definitely investing in the Big Shot Pro so I can have a 12 inch width for doing edges on cards like this.)
Fiskars paper trimmer
Pebbles inc. Chalks - Pearlescent Shimmers and Jewel Tones
Stampin' Up Elegant Eggplant ink
3mm pearls dots
Stamp - Suzanne Nicoll -SN Iris 3625F
Die - Marianne Designs - LR0270 Anja Vintage Ornaments 2
Die - Cheery Lynn - B441 Mom
Die - Spellbinders Borderabilities - Curved Borders 2
Die - Frantic Stamper Precision Die - Iris Stained Glass - FRADIE 09441
Die - Spellbinders Nestabilities Classic Ovals small S4-112
Die - Spellbinders Shapeabilities - Holly Jolly Christmas Set S6-761
Die - Spellbinders Nestabilities Majestic Elements - Opulent Ovals S5-160
Die - Poppy Stamps 1178 Vintage Happy Birthday 
Glue - Zig Two way glue pen
Glue - Tombow Mono adhesive tape
Glue - Tombow Mono liquid glue
Paper - Hot of the Press Amethyst Paper Pad
Paper - Hot of the Press Sapphire Paper Pad (NIP)
Paper - Hot of the Press Emerald Paper Pad
Paper - Snow pack (NIP)
Cardstock - Silver Shimmer Cardstock
Cardstock - Its Love and a lot more (NIP)
Cardstock - DCWV Textured Jeweled Stack
Hand Made Indian embossed paper

Hope you enjoyed this card

#make100 #papercraft

Kickstarter #Make 100 - K1a - Almost done

As I finish up the last bits to this card, I realize just how much I have learned from making this card.

Everything from faux stain glass, to inking multiples images without a tool to position the wooden stamp, to even simple things like alignment and layering.

As the card stands (Gate fold)

Front of the card (scanned)

Inside of the Card 

Kinda bummed that the scanner doesn't pick up the chalk colors on the Irises

I have the envelop to make and I have already have the Frame with the Large Mom cut out for it.

On the back of the envelop I have another chalked color iris.

All in all - this was very cool to do.

Kickstarter - Pledge Backer K1a - Pieces starting to fall into place

This is one of the most amazing opportunities I have, 22 Kickstarter Backers I am making cards for; each providing me with some basic information and ideas, and then I take and run with those.

First one in the queue

K1a - wanted Irises - it's for a birthday card.

I had three ideas, of which each is progressing along, but I am starting to lean towards idea two.

Idea one - A popup garden with Irises.

I have pieces started: It's an open box fold that I modified to add a yellow gate to.  So far none of the irises are small enough to actually fit nicely.  Though I have a punch to create day lilies that I am working on modifying the petals to be parrot iris style.  It's cute... but .... I think I might put this idea to the side so I can focus on the other two.

Idea two - Paper Stain Glass pieces on a Gatefold card style.  I really love how this turned out.  I was a bit concern because I didn't think I had enough marble paper in different colors to make this work.  My husband absolutely loved how this looks.

Idea three - Painted stain glass on vellum paper.  I am still pursuing this but found that I need to get a sealant for the gelato pigment ink.  I love the blending of these inks but I can't get the texturing I want for stain glass look.  Someone suggested in a group that I paint it on crumbled tissue paper, which works really well with the pigment inks when you blend them.   I should be able to at least finish this version today to see how it looks once it is mounted completely on the frame.  The idea here is to make an acetate backing for this to sit on so you can hang this in a window and get a mini stain glass affect.  And given that I want to make it into a four panel frame card style with window cutouts for the pieces to free float in.

Items being used in these designs:

Frantic Stamper Precision Die - Iris Stained Glass 
Hot of the Press - Sarabooks Amethyst
Hot of the Press - Sarabooks Emerald
Hot of the Press - Sarabooks Sapphire
Gelatos 
NIP 2013 Memory Box Estate Fence die
NIP 1992 PSX K-040 Iris Iridaceae mounted rubber stamp
NIP Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist Pop Rocks

Mistakes - and living with them in Art

I made this card for someone who is recovering from surgery.  I really need to invest in the one of the stamp positioning tools because my sentiment Get Well Soon didn't quite ink as well as I wanted to on the card stock (it's slightly textured).  So I tried to fix it but that ink pen didn't like the texture either.  

But I liked the card and so - I just let it go as it is because it is art and art is not perfect.

One of the things I did want to find now is grass bundles (stamp and die set will be cool) Dies R Us  has a few I like - so I definitely want to invest in them after this card became clear - making grass with those tiny leaves was a bit of a challenge.

Another mistake card - that turned out beautiful is this one - 25th Anniversary Celebrate card.

Funny thing is the mistake was wanting to use specific 12x12 card stock that the rose border was not on the edge of the paper and I had to actually cut the paper in a way to get that pretty border, leaving me with two pieces that I needed to figure out how to glue together to make a card body.  This mistake had been sitting in my What to Do pile for two years, then I watched this Youtube video on glues and learned about different glues for different purposes.  And I solved that problem, added a cute pink ribbon and dazzle border to make it look seamless.

I've started on the Kickstarter cards, got some materials that I want to use for them.  But in the mean time - making other cards - another Sympathy Card.  I really love how this turned out.  Trying new techniques in the chalking and embossing on dies.  And playing with colors.

Anyway my Frantic Stamper package has arrived that contains materials for K1a and K8a cards.  Going to take pictures of the materials and post tomorrow about the designs.  SO EXCITED

Dies dies dies and more dies

I love dies.  I have a Cuttlebug  and I plan on getting a large machine (actually 3 but that's another topic post in of itself.)  I love utilizing dies and combination dies to make new and exciting art cards.

But what frustrates me about dies is that designers/companies comes out with a template or frame die that you can use to create say a lantern, basket, container, or book, and additional dies to create a specific holiday look, but then don't come out with other additional dies for other holidays.

I love the Halloween Spellbinders Trick or Treat set.  I made several of these in different cardstock, glitterstock and textured papers.  They were awesome!!!

I took the base frame and created several awesome lanterns with it for Christmas and Valentines Day.

But at you can see I used other dies that were not squares to create different sets.

I bought another square looking die set last month - Shapeabilities Calligraphy Flourish Tiles Etched Dies Ooh La La Collection by Stacey Caron.  It looked like it would fit the frame.  However the square is literally 1/16 of an inch bigger than the frame for the Lantern can hold.  So now I get to do something else - tweak the frame to support these squares.

Going to try that today since I thought they would be a nice lantern set.

And no a Cricut machine will not solve this problem.  Though I do plan on getting one this year because I really love lacy elements (especially words).  And they are a pain to do in the manual die cutting machine.

Teach me to not organize things...... finally getting the Facebook VampKitty Studios organized

1st note:  Still a few days left for folks to commission their valentine cards :)

If you need any ideas see my previous post or the first part of my AlaCard Card Gallery II.

2nd note:  I've got a Gallery for Pre-Ordering for Christmas Art Cards up.  I have a bunch of Card Bodies already started for this year and will be expanding my Paper Victorian Christmas Ornaments selection especially now that I have the space to work with these beauties.

Still debating with myself whether to enter this year for a designer position with Heartfelt Creations or wait another year.  My style isn't their style but I love their products.  Have a few more days to ponder on this.

Kickstarter phase II is now underway.  I sent a message to the backers.  Need to finish the surveys and send them out.  I can't wait until I start blogging about each creation.  I plan on documenting each one and then send the person the digital pics so they can have something to remember the experience with.

Monday tip for making your space work in your studio - Think about what you use regularly and put that within a foot or two of your work space.  Then from there set up the supporting tools behind it.  This makes it easy to work but not hard to get the tools.  And you don't feel so claustrophobic.