Paper Crafts – Tools and Techniques
On any personal layout I’m creating I always feel the need to journal. The pictures alone, for me, are not enough to tell the story. I don’t need to journal the details of the photos – sometimes I just want to put my thoughts/feelings out there.
In this layout, I created the foundation paper by using glossy cardstock and Distress Ink. It’s kind of fun to use the colors you are looking for. It made creating the embellishments easier.
My mom is visiting, and I’m thrilled she’s here. I know I didn’t get the chance to update my blog or do much of anything else that I normally do, but I just don’t get to see her very often. Plus, as I’ve posted before, she won’t visit if I don’t have a list of projects for her to help with. Remember the Pen and Punch Racks she built me?
Well, on this visit we installed a huge built-in bookcase surrounding a window in the guest room. It came out great. She cut the mats and framed a large charcoal drawing that is very meaningful to my husband, and she framed a Colts commemorative art piece for my son. It’s been a great visit – I just haven’t had time to post here – or anywhere else! I should be back ‘online’ on Wednesday. I have some new goals, finally, and I think posting them will help cement them!
This card is one of the new ones in the Gallery for the “I’m Blogging with a New Card Everyday” challenge to celebrate World Card Making Day, and the beginning of the card making season.
The blog challenge asks – what would I like to create to make Scrapping easier. I like my friend Linda’s answer – a time machine. I’m afraid I would use it for more than scrapping, though!
I need a solid, good, cohesive plan – in other words, I wish every time I sat down to make a card or a layout – that it just ‘came to me’ – that I could just see it and create it and have it done perfectly, the first time. But it isn’t like that. I went in the studio to make a card (well, I went to make a few cards, and only got one done) and it took me forever. The background wasn’t right, then the stamp didn’t ink right, etc…. when all was said and done – I had one good version and the three not-so-good versions.
In a way, it’s like Linda’s time machine – I’d have more time, if I made more of the time I do have!! I’m working on a sketch book – with any luck that should help some – but for me, I just can’t help trying out new techniques – and there’s always a ‘trial and error’ period attached. I guess I need to accept that!
The blog question for the day is asking about people who leave rude comments on someone’s blog. Is it expected?
I don’t think rudeness is ever ‘expected’ nor is it acceptable. Knowing that I would be mortified if any child of mine did such a thing – I see it as a situation where either the person’s mother failed to teach her better, or her mother did teach her better, and she is disrespecting her mother by doing so anyway. I say “she” because statistically it is females who hide in the shadows and do such hurtful things. Men tend to be more aggresive and will hurt people physically – when they intend to cause pain. People who hurt others just for fun, or for the thrill have issues. And since, in the big picture, these people are rarely well-adjusted, happy, successful people – I tend to brush off their activities as the actions of people who are hurting themselves. So I don’t take offense, nor am I shocked – just saddened.
(PS – Yes, sorry, I did go to graduate school for Clinical Psychology)
This is the Solid Recipe Card Box my mom made to put in our ETSY Store.
The blog question is asking what 5 things would I like to do before my time is up. I’ve been having trouble with just this kind of question of late. See, the problem is that I had a list like this 20 years ago – but then all the items on the list got checked off! Now, does that I mean I’m happy to go anytime, or should I make a new list? I feel ungrateful and disrespectful to God – who fulfilled my first list – if I just go and make another list!! On the other hand, He wouldn’t want me to have no personal goals for the next half of my life.
So, my next list wouldn’t be near as ‘valid’ or ’sincere’ as my first list was (happy, stable marriage * healthy children * house * good job * great friends). Maybe my next list should be a list of things I want to do with my loved ones before I go.
I’d like to take my family for a month to really see Scotland
I’d like to be the best grandmother (my dd is only 11 – I’m not in a hurry)
I’d like to be a good neighbor, and to try to do something to unify the neighborhood into a community (all I can think of is hosting the annual Christmas Open House Party).
I’d like to make money and take the sole burden from DH.
Because crafting is such a real part of me – I’d like to make sure I’m crafting until the end of my days. I like giving gifts I’ve crafted, and I like the spiritually recuperative therapy properties of crafting – I think it will be important for me to always continue.
The Blog Challenge question is asking about my weekend scrapping plans. I think I get more paper arts projects accomplished during the week – but I am teaching a class at our LSS in Frederick on Sat. and I’m making more Fall and Holiday cards on Sun. Mixed in there, too, needs to be some “clean the Craft Room” time! If I don’t put things away – the mess just builds up!
I think I’ve mentioned that we LOVE Halloween. It’s a family occasion. I love to pick up these unfinished wooden ornaments and then paint them. Of course, in a shot like this, you can’t tell – but they all have glow-in-the-dark paint somewhere on them. Very cool at night as you walk down the dark hallway! Well, one day a year, usually a Sunday as we are watching football, I pull out the paints and the unfinished wood – and call the family in to the table! We have a ball. It’s so much fun, it’s so easy, and everyone participates!
I was inspired for the theme of this post from Linda – her Halloween project was so cute!
The blog challenge asks if I am someone who will go out of my way to try something new (crafting wise – I assume) or do I stick with what I’m comfortable with.
Well, anyone who knows me – knows that I’m always willing to try a new technique or craft. I can’t help myself. Maybe because I’m not afraid of getting it ‘wrong’ or having it look horrible the first time I try. I believe very firmly in the learning process – and I know I’ll goof up more than once trying something new. BUT, if I love it, then I’ll keep at until I get results I like. From there – I usually try to incorporate the new technique into the other types of crafts I’m into – and make all sorts of hybrid crafting projects!
Here’s something I had not tried before: Glass Etching
It was fun and easy – I’m glad I gave it a try.
As my dear friends are quick to point out – I have a lot of paper. (Some of it is up on the wall units in the 3 drawer Sterlite bins). So I’ve never been able to justify belonging to a Monthly Kit Club. I have, however, thought about creating one for myself. My plan is to pull various coordinating papers and embellishments once a month – and get scrapping! Get that “kit” all done and made up before the month ends and then start again the next month. It’s a solid concept – I know I’d get a lot more finished. I should give it a try, and I could hold myself accountable by posting my finished pages! I may just do that….. after I survive the Holidays (amended: IF I survive the Holidays!! LOL)
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We ended up going to the orchard on Saturday and picking 3 bushels of apples. That meant we had to can them all on Sunday. 40 pints of apple sauce, 14 quarts of apple pie filling, and 8 jars of apple butter. I thought we might rest on Monday – but no, we got a lot more done.
The blog challenge asks what thing was done that really made my day. Well, after all the things we had just worked on this weekend (yes, DH picks apples and cans) – on Monday he went downstairs and built the 4 wall-unit cabinets I had picked up from Target. I needed them to store the art studio supplies – and now that they are built – I can set them up and fill them. It’ll feel so good to have everything on shelves – accessible, but still behind a closed door! Thanks Hubby.
I just promised the people over at Green Sneakers that I would blog a card a day for the next month!! Ouch, it’s not like I don’t have anything else to do!!! That’s all right. I’ve got to get started on my cards, and being that today is World Card Making Day, and the kickoff to the card making season – I thought I’d get it going!
I’ll be making Fall/Holiday/Winter themed cards. Here’s the first one:
