Saturday, March 16, 2013

Color Q Challenge and a Father's Day Card

Haha, I'm back with another card.  Can you tell I was going through withdrawal on Monday?  It's finally Friday and I'm back at my crafting table.  It's been a particularly busy week as my in-laws are visiting, so I had to be good.  But now it's play time.

Today I'm sharing a card for my first ever card challenge entry!   


Perfect colors for St. Patrick's Day, however,  I couldn't figure out to whom I may give this kind of card.  So I'm going to try my hand at making a masculine card, one for Father's day.  Still early, but it's what pops to mind when I see this color combo.  

My Father's Day Card and entry for Color Q's challenge #180



I used Hero Art's Have A Donut Stamp Set, my dad is a coffee lover and when I saw this stamp set I thought of him, it was perfect. I stamped it with Memento tuxedo black ink and used Bic markers to color the image.  




As a beginner, I've been experimenting a lot.  Bic alcohol markers are a more cost effective and a great alternative to Copic markers.  Especially for those like me who are just having fun learning and playing and aren't quite ready for the investment into professional grade markers.  I've been experimenting a lot with different methods of coloring images.  So far my favorite methods are using Prismacolor pencils with gamsol and Bic alcohol markers.  I'm able to blend pretty well and end up with good looking results using these two methods. 




I cut out my image with a Spellbinder's circle die, embossed it and used a sponge dauber to ink inside the embossed edge.  By keeping the die on the paper while inking, you end up with a white ring on the outside after the die is removed. This gives it an extra dimension in just the right color, especially if you don't own any card stock in the desired color.  It was a great way to incorporate lucky limeade into my card.




I then matted the focal image on grey and then black circles.  Placed the whole image on a rectangular panel.  Stamped with my sentiment in Color Box frost white pigment ink and then popped the whole thing on a grey card base. 


Card Dimensions are as follows


Card Base 5-1/2" x 8", score at 3-3/4"
Black mat 5-1/8" x 3-9/16"
Green Pattern Paper 2" x 3-1/2" and 1" x 3-1/2"

Focal image circle Spellbinders Nestabilities Large Circle die, 2nd to the largest circle (about 3-5/16")
Grey circle 1/8 inch larger in diameter than the focal image (exact measurements are 3-7/16")
Black circle 1/16 inch larger in diameter than the grey circle (exact measurements are 3-1/2" diameter)


Supplies
Paper
  • Grey - The Paper Company
  • Black - Cor'dinations Paper
  • White - Cor'dinations Paper
  • Green Pattern Paper - Recollections Green Faux Canvas
Stamps
  • Hero Arts Have a Donut
  • Hero Arts Everyday Sayings - the dots
  • Hero Arts Fantastic Birthdays - the happy and day
  • Inkadinkado Heirloom Type Cling - to spell out "Father's"


Inks and inking tools
  • Memento Tuxedo Black
  • Memento Pear Tart
  • Color Box Frost White Pigment Ink
  • Tsukineko Sponge Daubers
Markers
  • Bic Mark It Fine Point Permanent Markers
Paper Cutters
  • Fiskars Sure Cut Paper Trimmer
  • Spellbinder's Nestabilities Large Circle Dies
  • EK Success Circle Scissors
  • WeR Memory Keepers Fine Detail Scissors
Adhesives:
  • Elmer's Permanent Dot Runner

HAVE FUN!  CHEERS!

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Ramblings of an Avocation Novice

I did not get to create today, but it was all I thought about.

It's Monday and as Monday's go, mine was great.  Work was light but not boring.  My co-workers were in good spirits and everyone I interacted with had a pleasant attitude.  I suspect side effects from all that near spring-time sun we're getting here in California......mixed with the psychedelic effects of loosing one hour of sleep had something to do with the  pleasantries flying in abundance.  Even traffic managed to clear up for my commute home!

Where was I though?  My mind was elsewhere, I was thinking of card making all day long.  I was thinking of sketches, wondering which websites had challenges I could participate in, day dreaming that I got a day away to craft to my hearts desire.  Or even better, design stamps for a living and being on the design team of nearly everything and get paid to play all day long.  

Yes, I am suffering from being an avocation novice.  The dangers of being an novice is that self control is not yet present.  This admittedly is my very first hobby and I'm going through growing pains. At first it was nice, then I discovered I had a knack for it so I dabbled more and more and more.  Until now where it has became the only thing I want to do .  

No one warned me that hobbies can be all consuming and that self control must be gotten in order to 1) maintain the hobby in the first place   i.e. make a real living to pay for the hobby and 2) to keep it from destroying the rest of my life which provides me the joy and inspiration to create in the first place. i.e. my relationships with family and friends.  

Alas, I am now in a self imposed conundrum.  I was happy before having any hobby.  Then life got more interesting after finding a hobby.   Now I'm bummed when I can't engage in my hobby..... I mean, life was never a problem before this whole shenanigan.  Now it feels like life gets in the way of it.  

So was I better off before I started this whole thing?

It's like in the Twilight Saga when they describe how new vampires are the most dangerous because they crave that one thing.  And that's all they want.  There's only thirst and a desire to satisfy that craving.  

Self-control comes later.  I'm still waiting for it to set in.

I found this poem online which really speaks my heart.  Good day all and enjoy the sun.  Hopefully tomorrow I'll get to make something :-)

But yield who will to their separation,
My object in living is to unite
My avocation and my vocation
As my two eyes make one in sight.
Only where love and need are one,
And the work is play for mortal stakes,
Is the deed ever really done
For heaven and the future´s sakes.
Robert FrostTwo Tramps in Mud Time, st. 9





Sunday, March 10, 2013

Creating your own Rainbow Pattern Paper with Stamps and Ink

As a newbie, everything is super fun!  I love learning new techniques.  My favorite person to learn from is Jennifer McGuire.  I'm sure there are lots of other amazing teachers, but I love Jen's style.  I just love watching her create.  And her voice is pleasant, her tutorials straight forward, her manner easy and her YouTubes are just the right length.  She has so many YouTube videos showing different techniques.  That's how I've been learning, though I'd love to sign up for one of her Online Card Classes when I get more time. 

After the loss of my pregnancy, I took a month off from work and just I ate up her videos.  It was like medicine and I couldn't get enough. And then one day I just started making cards.  I love it, it's so fun playing with different mediums, textures and then creating a result that's all yours. As a beginner, it's a much smaller and less intimidating space to work with.  And I still prefer that to scrapbooking. 

Today's cards was inspired by a card Jennifer McGuire created for a blog bop for Simon Says Stamp using their March Card Kit.  One of the ways to learn is to just copy from others!  In my professional life at work, they have a saying "See one, Do one, Teach one."  And that is the key to remembering what you've learned.  So I saw one, then I did one.  And by posting on the blog.... does that count as teaching one?   So here's my take on her card, not too different.  The main difference is I didn't own the card kit so I had to adapt the design according to the tools and stamps I own.

Enjoy!


I used Momento Dew Drop dye inks with the Hero Art Basic Grey Luscious Patterned Flowers stamp set.


I hand cut the heart out of craft paper and stamped a sentiment from Hero Arts Everyday Sayings in white ink.  And voila, my version!

Where do you get your inspiration?  

Saturday, March 9, 2013

CSI: Cards, Stories, Inspiration Challenge and My first Scrapbook Layout

So here I go,  my first real post about my addiction.  I recently found a really fun site that create weekly scrapbook challenge.  Their prompts are fashioned as if you were a detective trying to solve a case file.  It's like CSI, but for scrapbookers.  This is the first time I've followed their challenge and posted to their site.  My layout is called Hanging Out and documents a trip we took to Maui last year.

Here's a good place to get into how I got hooked to this hobby, one of the most popular hobbies in America btw.  Last year I lost a pregnancy, my second child who never came to be.   I lost the baby 4 days before we were supposed to leave for a friend's destination wedding in Maui.  When we left the hospital, everyone including my doctors urged us to take the trip .  It's be a good change of scenery.  At the time all my body wanted to do was to stay home, but my logical mind told me "I should go, it'd be good for me."  I was at odds with myself.  Obviously we went, hence the scrapbook page. And it's all thanks to my hubby, because if it was up to me, I would've just slouched and stayed home.  Throughout the whole trip I was at odds with myself, God, everything.... but Hawaii is the most perfect surreal place to heal.... I was glad we went.



When we came back, we held a private little memorial for the baby.  I created a scrapbook page as a display for the memorial we had at the park.  I didn't have much, just my ultrasound picture and the hand prints and footprints the hospital took of the baby after he had passed.  They were so tiny.  I'm not sure why I felt like I needed to create a page for him, I've never scrapped before.  Maybe God put it in my head and sure enough he knew I needed it.  In my mind, there was so little I could do for him now that he's gone, I had to make something... that was all I had, all I could do for the little one...

It made me feel better as a mother to be able to give that to him.  It was the most simple page, from a novice, but I'm sure one I will never forget.  It was the first page I've ever created.

I think I'm ready to share it now...


Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Creating a header for your blog using Picasa

New blog yeay!  So now instead of wasting my time on my favorite activity (card making)  I am wasting my time setting up the blog!!!! So fun.  But time consuming.  I am hoping that once it's set up and once I get used to using the features, everything will flow smoothly.  And I can spend more time doing what I love.  Though sharing through a blog fun also.

The first thing I wanted to do was make my blog look like the ones I've been following.  Make it appear aesthetically pleasing like the cards I love to make.  Besides, that's the essence of my blog right?!  But seeing as I have no computer background.......off I go to the internet.  I am an avid internet and youtube user.  I found this article here showing me How to Make a Blog Header for Free from the blissfully domestic website.  And that is how I ended up with my banner up top... though I still need to tweak it.  Blogger seems to want to cut off my photo at the right hand side.  

Ok, enough now, I've got to get back to the real world an make some dinner and pick up my son from day care.  

First Blog Post

First blog here, trying new things for my header.  But just wanted to create a place where I can share and have fun with a new hobby I just picked up. Papercrafting!!!  Scrapbooking, card making, but mostly stamping.  This new obsession of mine is so fun and for me, healing.  I'll elaborate more later, but for now, I just get to play with the site.  Please excuse the work in progress.