Amped Up Origami Shadow Box

I liked this look so much that I decided to play around with it again for a private class I hosted Wednesday night. I wanted to see if I could make the card more masculine, and when I presented it for the class, it didn't have the new Victorian Crocheted Trim. But then I added it today before I took the picture, so I guess it's not masculine anymore, is it!

I cannot believe how much the look of the card changed when I dry embossed the Very Vanilla card front with the Square Lattice Textured Impressions Folder for the Big Shot. Oh my--it just has so much more depth and visual interest. I think this would be an adorable baby card for a boy (with a different sentiment, of course).

Now for a closeup of that new crocheted trim! It lays beautifully and is delicate without being fragile. It has just the right body. You can also see the detail the Square Lattice added. Great combo!

I'm really feeling like I'm on a tear with my creativity, so I'm off to make another card. If you love what you see here, remember that you can click the 24/7 Shop Online button in the upper right corner and have anything you want delivered right to your door! Happy Friday!

For the Clothes Horse on Father's Day

I always have trouble designing a Father's Day card, since my husband doesn't seem to fall into a specific category. He's not a sports fan, he's not a hunter, he's not a car guy, and he's not my personal version of "Tim the Toolman". So, most of the stamp sets geared toward guys just don't fit him.

Since I figure I'm not the only one with this issue, I try to make my annual Father's Day card something masculine without being stereotypical. It's HARD! This year, I wanted to use up some retired Manchester Designer Series Paper, and I wanted to make a card that I could use for card making time at the Ronald McDonald House next week. It dawned on me that most men like to be considered stylish, so I tried to make a card that would capture the "inner clothes horse" in every dad.

I came up with this. I think it looks like an argyle sweater vest layered over a shirt. At least that's what I was going for! It was also my goal to use up some retired Soft Sky card stock, so to me, this is a win-win result!

The card is 5.5" x 8.5", scored at 2 1/8" in from each side on the 8.5" length. This creates the center opening and is also known as a gate fold. For the message, I grabbed "love you much" from Well Scripted, and the only "Happy Father's Day" stamp I own, from another retired set called All Year Cheer II.

I'd really like your feedback on this. Would this suit your card giving needs for dear ol' Dad this year?

2010. New Decade. Same Ol' Need to be Organized

Welcome to the new year and new decade. I heard some really good advice about New Year's resolutions yesterday: before you decide what you want to do, determine WHO you want to BE. You're going to be something, you might was well decide what it is. Well, one of the characteristics I want people to know me by is my creativity! How about you?

While you're contemplating that, I want to profile a new project that will help solve the dilemma you face when you're in the car and need a piece of paper to jot something down. We've all been there. Someone calls and wants to communicate some important information, we want to remember the name of a cool tune on the radio, or we have a thought pop into our brains that we know we'll lose forever if we don't write down. Well, scramble no more--I have the solution!

This is what I call a Thought Keeper. It's a slim, 5.25" square metal tin that has a cool design on the outside--so it's easy to find among all the maps, napkins, owner's manuals, etc. that ends up in the glove compartment of your car--and a calendar and notepad on the inside. These were designed by Andrea Walford and Sophia Landry, sisters and Canadian SU! demonstrators with busy lives and lots to keep track of.

Mine replaces a ratty notebook I made 2 years ago to keep track of my mileage. It's falling apart, and I was so excited to find this design. Everything I write down will stay inside the tin until I am ready to remove it! I used retired Urban Garden DSP and non-SU! chipboard letters to decorate the exterior.

I also made one for my husband. He started a new business last fall, and while he was doing his expense report he shared that he needed something to write down his mileage in, since he keeps forgetting to keep track of it for tax purposes. I can help you, honey! His is pretty basic and plain, because I didn't want to incorporate embellishments that might get snagged by other things while it's in the center console of his truck. Let's just say it's not the neatest space! He's left-handed, so his notepad is oriented so that he'll be able to write easily. His is decorated using Manchester DSP, and I chose the striped to suggest the lines on the highway.

I'm offering these for $15 each at a class I'll be offering Jan. 16 at my home. If you're interested in attending, please let me know! Those who attend will be able to choose from my current inventory of DSP and will create their own color scheme for their project.

If you're interested in obtaining one of these as a "make at home" kit, I can provide all the pieces you'll need--you'll supply the adhesive--for the cost of the supplies plus shipping. Again, leave a comment with an email contact, and I'll get in touch with you. This option will only be available AFTER my class registration has closed. I have 8 tins available.

Sketchy Business

There is a blog called Our Creative Corner that posts a weekly sketch challenge. If you're not familiar with sketch challenges, they're fairly ubiquitous in crafting blogland. Many paper crafters and stamp companies create sketches for card layouts and invite anyone interested to post a card made using the design.

OCC posts every Saturday, and this week's designer is Laurie Schmidlin. I follow her blog because every time I type "just" in my web browser, her blog, Just Give Me Stamps, comes up just below mine! Laurie's well known in the stamping community, and this sketch and interpretations of it have popped up in quite a few of the blogs I follow.

Since I need some cards for this Saturday's SAS--I work well under deadline pressure--I decided to try this one. I wanted a masculine card, and this one, with its large panels, seemed to lend itself to such a beast. (Yes, they're hard to make, and can make me testy.) I pulled out Manchester DSP, Baja Breeze, Kraft, and Very Vanilla card stock and went to work.

Circles seemed too feminine, and I don't have that many manly man images. Birthday Whimsy was sitting out in my peripheral vision, and each of its images is similar in size. A perfect trio! I stamped the cake in Always Artichoke, which matches fine IRL (don't know what happened in photographing), the balloon in BB, and the present in Sahara Sand (why we don't have an ink pad in the color Kraft, I don't know). The twill ribbon was also laying around on the craft table, so I pulled it into the layout for the horizontal piece the sketch suggested.

It's a tad plain, but for a guy, I think it'll be just right. I have two more cards to figure out for Saturday, so you'll be seeing more this week. What kinds of cards are you working on these days?

Miles to Go Before I Sleep

I'm sure my friends Cookie or Robin could tell me who the author is of this saying, but whoever he was, he spoke prophetically and correctly about my day! As I stare at the clutter on the dining room table, the dog hair tumbleweeds on the carpet, the folded, but as yet not put away laundry on the bed, the untidied kitchen, and the disastrous state of my crafting space, I can tell I've been on a tear for too long.

All that will need to be done and more card stock will need to be cut before tomorrow's SAS. I did get 4 cards made yesterday, but I'm growing weary, friends.

Okay, here's what I made yesterday. This first card is a CASE of Wendy Janson's layout, and I used Manchester Designer Series Paper. The color scheme for these patterned papers is Always Artichoke, Baja Breeze, Kraft, and Very Vanilla. I found her work perusing through the SAS gallery for cards made using the Party Hearty set. I hope you can see how versatile this set is, now that I've posted a few cards using it! I wrestled a bit with this color combination, but I like this card for a guy. Very masculine and quick and easy. The circle with "celebrate you" is heat embossed, which is a nice subtle detail. I contemplated using twine for some sort of embellishment, but it was too much. Simple is better!

The next card is a reprise of an origami shirt card we made at the June SAS. Here's the link to the instructions I found online. Once I refreshed my memory on how to make it, it went together fairly quickly, and I'm pleased with the results. Do you like the little pocket? There's a piece of Baja Breeze card stock inside for writing a little message. The sleeves have to be folded in in order for it to fit in the envelope, but I put instructions regarding that inside the card for whoever purchases it.

So, that covers the two masculine birthday cards, leaving the female ones. Should be easy, right? Fatigue is effecting my creativity, but I soldiered on last night. I have to tell you, though, that the temptation to plop down on the couch beside Bob and veg out in front of the TV was great. I resisted, though.

Here's another example of incognito retired InColors showing up in current papers. The Haiku Designer Series Paper has two sheets of borders, meant mainly for scrapbookers, I believe. This one seems to use Wild Wasabi. Perhaps these DPs are carryovers from last year or something. I don't care; they allow me to put this stash of card stock into play! With the base of WW decided and the panel large enough to serve as focal image, all that needed to be added was an appropriate sentiment. It's from Heard from the Heart (which always makes me think of sheep... as in "herd of"). The border picks up the colors of So Saffron and More Mustard that are in the panel.

I was uninspired to complete the female birthday category, so I picked up Baroque Motifs and made a bridal card. I don't have much experience with brides or weddings of late, so I did a little poking around online to find out what colors are popular in weddings these days. I read that jewel tones, which I used in my wedding, are making a comeback, but the author of the article quickly advised not to make the 'maids wear a dress in said colors. That's what I did, and I'm sure my 'maids weren't happy about it almost 20 years ago, so the advice is best heeded.

All that said, I went with Baja Breeze and Chocolate Chip, since BB is the closest thing I have to Tiffany Blue that is all the rage. I really hope this card does not become popular, as it was a pain in the butt to make, but since I invested the better part of an hour on it, it's going in the pile! It's not a traditional card, but a postcard with an envelope. Found this beautiful sheer ribbon that matches perfectly at Michael's.

Well, that's the blow by blow from last night. I have 40 min. before I need to leave for work, so I'm going to try to go tackle something on the domestic front before I depart. We have corporate visitors today, so there'll be a little more than the usual level of stress at work today. I'm hoping it's over before I get there, but I probably won't be so fortunate. Happy FRIDAY!!