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.