Birthday card for my father.

I tried to make a simple card for my father last night.  I did succeed, but it took me 3 hours! Only because I was trying to make the card between TV commercials. 


My favorite shows were on last night.  There are not too many shows I am a "real follower" of so I have been trying to turn the TV off or have music playing when those favorite shows are not on.

I have a harder time making card for Guys than I do for Girls.  As I was browsing online I saw this sketch, so I thought I would use it as my starting place for a masculine card.

The paper is so shiny, it was quite the challenge to get a good photo.



Recipe

Blue paper (lightest) ~ The Paper Company Seaside collection

           4 1/2" x 5 1/4" card base

           2 1/4 "x 1 1/8"  rectangle in center

           A little bigger than 4" x 1 1/4" for die cut

Alpine Socks ~ KI Memories 

           2 1/4" x1 3/4"     4 pieces  

Brown ~ The Shimmer Stack by DCXV

           2 1/2" x1 15/16"     4 pieces  

Die cut
          Fancy Labels ~ Spellbinders

     

Close to Cocoa Ink ~ Stampin' Up 

Sincere Salutations stamp  ~ Stampin' Up

Scor-Tape  adhesive

Dimensional ~ Stampin" Up

Sponge

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The concept is easy. 

1. Stack the printed paper (Alpine socks) on top of the solid paper (brown shimmer). 
2. Place on card base evenly spaced 2 high x 2 wide. 
3. Make die cut (Fancy Labels by Spellbinders).
4. Adhere in center of card. 
5. Cut center piece for label.
6. Stamp "Happy Birthday" on center piece.
7. Sponge Close to Cocoa around edges of center piece.
8. Adhere dimensionals on back of "Happy Birthday" center piece , place in center of label.
9. Admire your GREAT work of art!

Storing My Handmade Cards

On Splitcoast Stampers forum, someone asked how everyone stored their handmade cards.  So, I thought this would be a great thing for here.

I like to store my cards in a plastic container.  I do not usually buy Steralite containers, but the 6 quart size is great for storing my cards.  Since it it plastic it keeps the cards dry from moisture as well as keeping out dust and debris. 

It is wide enough the cards do not bend and are easy to move because it is not tight.  The container is also tall enough with the lid on without bending the top of the cards or the envelopes.  I just used my label maker and simple 5x7 index cards from the office supply store for dividers.  Eventually I will decorate the dividers, but for now functionality in best. 

In the pictures my pictures the cards are leaning back, because I just cleaned out my card supply to donate to "Granny's Attic".  Granny's Attic is a volunteer only staffed thrift store for the hospital I work for. 

Since I have cleaned enough of my craft room I can move around, I will be working on a birthday card for my father tonight.

Nothing too funny happened at work, but then we only had 4 patients.  It was a half day with a late start.  We had 2 no show patients and one that called to reschedule due to illness.  It always amazes me that people call our office and demand an appointment as soon as possible because they are in pain, but then cancel or no show their appointment.  but it did make it an easy day for me.  Yeah!

New Years Day.

My first day of the new year was quite eventful.  I was able to get half my craft room cleaned last night.  There actually is a floor now and a table.  I was a bit tired yesterday so I was not able to get as much done as I wanted.  But I was not worried because It was only Friday, I had all day today to get it organized...or so I thought.

I live in an apartment complex with 6 buildings.  The high today I believe, was 36 maybe 37 degrees.  I slept in a bit, got on my computer had a cup of coffee and then it happened. 

The buildings' fire alarm sounded.  Brad, my husband, and myself looked at each other in surprise for about 5 seconds, then realized what that sound was!  We both jumped up.  I was in my PJ's, I jammed my feet into my shoes, grabbed my coat and ran outside. 

Before pictures...SCARY!

 Here are the pictures!

Anyone else with a mess like this?  Please tell me I am NOT the only one!

Creativity sometimes means cleaning up FIRST!

I have not been in my craft room for about a couple of weeks now.  Why?  Because it is a disaster! 

I was busy making cards and boxes for a couple of craft fairs - I think I made 135 cards,  40 Hersey Nugget boxes,  26 Ghiradelli chocolate boxes and about a dozen or so of packages of 4 mint patties in the shapes of a snowflake, a snowman, a Santa suit and an elf.  Almost all of the candy sold, did not do so good on the cards.  I am not too disappointed because thetwo craft fairs were not very well organized or advertised.  The next craft fairs will be better.  I will post some of the cards on my Etsy shop.

After all that, I was tired.  I was doing really good about cleaning up each night.,,but then there was that one night, where I was too tired.  It just takes one night of  not put things away, then the mess grows.

I was going to tackle the craft room tonight.  But time got away from me...so tomorrow it is.  I only have cleaning/reorganizing my craft room, taking back a couple of Christmas items for my daughter and baking something for my family with my new Kitchen Aide mixer.

I know I will get the room back together.  I have faith in myself.  Mostly because it has been a bit rough at work and I need to get my creative spirit going to distract me from the yucky parts of the day.

I will take before and after pictures and post them.

Brayered Happiness Always Card

 

This is my all time favorite card!  I made this several months ago and placed it on my Etsy shop.  I hope it sells, but honestly I will be truly sad to not have it my hands to look at everyday for inspiration.

The supplies I used are at the bottom of this post.

I like to use glossy paper when brayering.  I find it smears the ink a little better than matte paper.

Tearing the scratch piece of paper unevenly (keep both sides) place on glossy paper to cover where the grass is to be. 

I inked my brayer with a light color of blue, rolled the brayer onto the glossy paper, repeating with a darker blue and gradually moving upwards to the top of the card with watch color.  I was careful not to roll the brayer to many times because the ink will re-coat the brayer if not dry.

After waiting a few minutes for the ink to dry, I then took the other side of the torn paper to cover the blue sky so I could brayer the bottom of the card green for the grass.  I did the same type of brayering, starting with the lightest green

and working to darker greens.   I lightly sponged some dark mossy green to show as shadows.  I took the same green and stamped areas of grass.

I stamped the tree first in black, pushing very hard onto the paper, this leaves an outline of the stamped.  I re-stamped the tree with normal pressure in brown.  Added the red apples and the black tire swing.  I lightly sponged green around the top of the tree.

I used my Big Shot and Spellbinders Label 4, to make  the decorative die cut.  Keeping the metal die on the paper, I sponged with blue in a circular pattern.  By keeping the die on the die cut, this allows the edges to stay white.  Then stamped with the die cut with 'Happiness Always".

The "Happiness Always" die cut was mounted using Popdots.  Picture was mounted on a green cardstock and attached to a white card back with Scor-tape.

If you have any questions about this card, please let me know.

Supplies used:

• Glossy paper
• Green cardstock
• Varies inks in blues and greens
• Black, brown and red inks 
• White cardstock for card base
• Branch Out stamp set by Stampin Up
• Sponge
• Brayer
• Scratch paper
• Big Shot or other die cutting machine
• Spellbinders Labels 4 die cuts
• Popdots
• Scor- tape