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Graduation cards

  

Have I mentioned that it's been a busy month? 

Soccer banquet last night. All kinds of things going on at school today - to the point I was there for 7-1/2 hours, but only worked 2-1/4 hours. I ended up ordering Jimmy Johns for lunch. Tomorrow I'm taking my second personal day, but I'll be spending the whole day with the fifth graders. Whatchya gonna do, right? 

But back to last week. Someone asked if I ever make cards anymore, and the answer is yes. And, as per my usual, I make them at the last minute. For this year's graduation cards I took advantage of a free offer from Shutterfly, and ordered a deck of cards.  They arrived the very day of our first graduation party of the season. 

This was a photo that I took last fall when luck had my turn in the hot air balloon launching from the front lawn of the high school. I'd been wanting this shot for awhile for exactly this reason. 

With a sentiment on the inside and very little time to get fancy on the outside - I let the photo do most of the work. 

It made my day to have one of the three recipients tell me that they loved it and saved it. 

I figure I have enough to get through the next few years when Wendy graduates. If I don't lose them to the stacks and piles on my desk..

graduation announcements

For Allan's graduation announcements, I dug through my box of discontinued stamps for my set of Extra Large Underground numbers. I've been BEGGING for another large set of numbers. Help me beg.  ;)  Large number stamps are a set that I always get lots of use out of. 

Several notes....

I often have a piece of chipboard underneath my stamping surface. It provides both a cushion and a place to catch the ink of the overlap. 

The inks used on this card are both Jenni Bowlin for Ranger inks - Lemon Drops and Seed Packet. Allan's school colors. But they call them green and gold.  They don't know what I know.  ha. 

The above stamp is Chevron Two Step.

 

I began by stamping the one chevron nearish (I don't measure) the bottom, and then added the solid chevron both above and below.  Clear stamps are such a fantastic invention, don't you think?  The ability to see where the stamp is going to land is huge. I wasn't able to do this with the wood mount stamps that I used to make his birth announcements with almost 18 years ago.  

Because I don't measure, and because I was kind of winging it, I added the twenty-thirteen (from the set - In a Nutshell) right into the chevron on some cards, and on the bottom of the others. And you know what? I like them both. 

The bottom created, I then stamped the 2013 above the chevron...

....about 45 times. I'm a firm believer in the assembly line process (do all the chevrons, then do all the twenty-thirteens, then do all the dates....). It went quick. 

The inside invitation portion I printed out on our computer and adhered it in. 

Nothing fancy. 

Today I will work on his thank-you cards. 

Happy Tuesday!
be good.  

2013. Here we go.

Card made using Technique Tuesday's January Studio AE - Be Mine by Ali Edwards. 
Arrows are a hangover from the December set. I'm partial to arrows. *wink*
Also used is a story card. I've been using them more and more in my card making.  

 ****************

So. 2012 kicked my butt - how about yours? Mine in a nutshell:

• Lost a lot of weight, gained a lot back. However - I am 6 pounds less today than I was on this day last year, so I'm just going to embrace that for now. 
• I started working. I like working. 
• Learned a lot about cancer in 2012. What this does is create a whole new view and respect for all that have gone through it or are going through it in a ooooooh, now I know sort of way. 
• Enjoyed ballooning as a great form of escapism. Crewed 32 times, flew four times. 
• Traveled to Minnesota twice. 
• Wendy got braces. 
• Made it across the Mackinaw Bridge - didn't think that was going to happen in '12. 
• Kept up with Project Life until my dad's cancer got really bad/busy. 
• Finished one quilt
• Mark started kindergarten - putting all four kids in school all day every day. Odd. 
• Sold the old van, bought a new old one. 
• Completely redid my work area
• Set a family record for pool hopping 
• Got the cupboard doors back up in the kitchen after two long years. 
• Worked really really hard to keep the balance 
• Took in a lot of local festivals/activities to make up for not traveling/vacationing. 
• Survived the end of the world. again.
• Lost my Grandma Laakso, my dad and my Great Aunt Edna. 
• Found out that my father-in-law has cancer. 
• Overall - 2012 wore me out. 

As for 2013? It might wear me out too. 

We began the New Year with Uncle George playing on the guitar and four kids on the porch banging pots and pans while shouting Happy New Year. Brian stopped to ask me - mom, are you sure we should be doing this? 

Oh, I'm sure. 

Today I've been tidying some corners, changing out calendars and working on taking down the few Christmas decorations I put up. 

Looking ahead to 2013....

• Happening: Allan Graduates
• Goal: Re-establish the routine that has been nonexistant for the last year. 
• Goal: Re-establish my getting fit goals that I started out so strongly with in 2012
• Hope: Vacation. But it's just a hope. 
• Happening: More time for creating. It's odd to have some time again. And sad. 
• Goal: More kayaking
• Happening: Ballooning.
• Planning: to continue Project Life. 
• Goal: New dishwasher and counter tops

I'm still in day by day mode, so I can't quite look too far ahead. 

As for January....

• Goal: Take down the Christmas tree
• Goal: Schedule college visits with Allan. 
• Happening: Mark starts swimming lessons.
• Goal: Check into guitar lessons for Mark and Wendy. 
• Happening: setting up/preparing for an estate sale at my dad's house. 
• (We're also selling my dad's truck - if anyone is interested - call my brother Brian. It's a 2005 Ford F150. Green. Mint condition. I'm not good with the other details, but could come up with them if asked) 
• Goal: Clean the filing cabinet. 
• Goal: Begin the taxes
• Happening: Bringing the boys ice rink hopping. 
• Goal: Clean out the fridge
• Breathing. 
• That should do it. 

Happy 2013!

be good.

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Halloween Cards: Eeeeek!

With everything else crossed off my list, I then found time last night to work on the last item - Halloween themed cards for Wendy. 

I decided to make a tall card - measures 4" x 9" to fit a business envelope. I cut my paper to 8.5" x 9 and then scored it along the 8.5" at 2 inches and 2.5" to create a bit of an overlap on the front of the card. Did you follow that? 

I then, after designing my first card - cut all the remaining pieces to size so I could quickly assemble the rest of the cards. I've always found this method to be the most efficient. 

(all the pattern papers are from My Minds Eye 6 x 6 Mischievous Paper Pad)

I then decided to pull in my Eek stamp and combine it with a 6 x 6 piece of paper that came in the Studio Calico Roller Rink Card Kit. 

I went along stamping into each cloud that they'd fit into....but I needed a couple more. 

To solve that problem I shortened eeek!!! to just eek!!! by masking. I put a post-it note to catch where the extra e would stamp. 

easy, right? 

I then continued with that method until I had all the eeeks that I needed. 

All the pieces cut, adhered and assembled - I then moved onto the envelopes. I realized that each of the girls Wendy wanted to give one of these cards to has a different letter for their first name. This made it practical then to pull from my stash of stickers and use up some of the miscellaneous letters. It also kept us from having to guess how to spell the name that starts with a d. 

Each card is slightly different as I wanted to use what I had on hand rather than buying supplies to make all matching. 

I thought they looked kind of neat in the morning mist. 

Eeek! 

World Card Making Day: making your own panel card

The next thing I'd thought I'd share was just a quick and easy panel card. To know me is to know that 1. I like to frame and mat everything and 2. If I can easily create a look myself and save some money - I'm going to do it. 

In this case, panel cards. 

I like the look of the embossed edge, and I like how they pull the card together and make it easier for me to put less on a card and feel like it's done. 

Premade panel cards can start adding up though, and they are not at all difficult make yourself. 

The first thing I do is prefold the card I want to make a panel on. 

Next, gather either a stylus or a bone, or for lack of either of these tools - find something else that can substitute. The wrong end of an artist style or kid's paintbrush works wonderfully. 

The next thing to find is an edge. In this example, I'm using a piece of thin cardboard. I've been known to use packaging, plastic stencils, the cover of a kids book and pretty much whatever I find closest to my desk at the time I need it. Today - a thin piece of cardboard. 

I flip my card over so I'm working on the inside of the card - and eyeball the edge, laying about a quarter inch over the edge of the cardboard - keeping it even from top to bottom. 

I then simply trace along the edge with my stylus (or bone, or wrong end of a paintbrush...) 

I don't go all the way to the edge, but leave that same quarter inch edge all the way around. I then turn the card a quarter turn and do the next edge. The reason I prefolded my card before creating the panel was for this step, so I know where to start and stop my edge. 

Having gone all the way around, I have my panel. 

This is very easy to adapt to a one inch border, small square in the middle or any number of other options. The trick is to have your tracing line longer than your card so you can see that you're keeping the card even. 

quick and easy and inexpensive. 

Perfect! 

 

World Card Making Day: Storing the card making supplies

Next, I thought I'd share some of my card supply organization. 

First - my embellishment boxes. These are directly under my work surface - so very handy, very quick to grab. There are 18 containers in all, and while some are colored pencils and wood mount stamps, the majority of them are embellishments. 

If my embellishments land in these containers, they are color coded. This is my yellow bucket. I've tried a lot of systems over the years - and color coding seems to work best for me. If something needs a touch of yellow - I just reach for the bucket. If I have a sheet of embellishments that only has two pieces left on it - I tear it down and sort it into the buckets. 

At my left hand is my mail sorter. I almost didn't buy this sorter that day at the antique mall - but I'm so glad I did. It suits me perfect. 

If you look closely you can see that my envelopes and cards take up a few slots

On the top shelf of the cupboard next to my desk, I have my 8.5 x 11 pieces of cardstock. Below that I have my 12 x 12. 

Back to the mail sorter - it also holds my 6 x 6 pads of pattern paper (love these things - reach for them often, therefore they have prime real estate in the sorter) and between the sorter and my water bottle or my acrylic blocks for my stamps. 

I shared my stamp storage system on another post.  

A full picture of my work area is also on another post. 

Cards, embellishments, envelopes and stamps - not much more is needed to make a card. I should go make a card. It IS World Card Making Day after all.

World Card Making Day: Cards with Photos

One of my favorite ways to begin a card is with a photo. I'm often placing orders for wallets of pictures along with my regular photo orders if I feel they'll suit a card well. 

Sometimes, as is the case above, I walk through a garden (my neighbors) specifically to get fresh new photos for greetings. I printed this proof sheet awhile ago and now seemed like a good time to put it to work. 

First things first - I cut them all apart. 

Next - I spread them out on my lovely new work space, and laid them out on the folded cards that inspired me for each one. I like laying out multiple cards at once rather than one card at a time. Sometimes. 

I then work my way through my embellishment bins and again, lay out the embellishments on the card I think I might use it on. This doesn't lock me in, this just gives me a good start. By working this way - I was able to make the following 9 cards in under an hour and a half. 

Because I dug through my embellishments bins for these cards - the items used are a mix of old and new products - some very very old. If you have any questions on any of them - leave me a comment and I'll respond as best I can. 

sympathy stamp is a favorite - 2004 from Printwork

Thanks for stopping by! 

My next World Card Making Day post will be a bit on my embellishment bins and storage. 

 

World Card Making Day: Operation Write Home Blog Hop

Operation Write Home - Sketch 115

Stamps are December Joys and Friendship Never Melts

Good Morning and Welcome! 

Today happens to be World Card Making Day (yes - there is such a day and it's HUGE in the card making sectors - Google it - check around online today - tons of challenges and giveaways) and I'm playing along with Operation Write Home in another fantabulous blog hop. This season we're going with a winter theme, which seems to be coming early this year! 

To read and learn more about Operation Write Home and what they do - click here.

To be inspired by the other blog hop participants - click here for a listing. 

You won't be disappointed! 

Happy World Card Making Day to you and yours! 

Ready for September with Wedding Cards

Taking a peek forward to the quickly arriving September - we have three weddings on our schedule. Three. 

So I spent last evening making cards. I gathered together a mix of supplies and started assembling. I got lucky at a garage sale not too long ago and found sets of those embossed cards  10/quarter.  I used the white ones last night. 

I stopped at Archivers while on my dentist run yesterday and found the little wood veneer people in stock. I was giddy, as I had just tried ordering those online this week and they were sold out. Love the little fun they add to the card. 

The stamp is back from my Close to My Heart days and the white embossed trim is from a little post it style note pad on my desk. I bring all sorts of things together when I make cards. 

Under my work space I have little containers in which I've sorted all my embellishments by color. I pulled a lot from my black and white collections last night.  I love these boxes because I can throw things in there that are from years ago and enjoy them in a new light. 

I can't even remember who made these little bread tie embellishments, but I've used a lot of them over the years - a fun little add on. 

All in all I made six wedding cards, so that should take me through October. All different, but similar. 

I love my new desk. 

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Other stuffs

• Hubs has a four day weekend 
• I have to keep reminding myself that it's Friday
• Wendy and I are going adventuring today - beginning with a stop at the school to practice going from class to class and trying her locker. 
• It's going to be 94 today. yuck. 
• I should go get dressed. 
• Happy Friday! 

stacking the rack

Part of my nook redo had me digging out the card rack again. This particular piece (bought at Pottery Barn in the clearance section probably a dozen years ago) goes in and out of storage regularly. I'd keep it out all the time if I could, but it doesn't always fit.  I'm tickled to have space for it again. I dug it out of the crawl space yesterday and brought it out onto the deck to blow the cobwebs off. This school year will be especially card needy as we have a senior in the house and will need more graduation cards than usual, as well as invitations and thank you cards. My plan is to work on those throughout the year so as not to get overwhelmed as we bear down on May/June which are always busy anyway.

We also have three weddings on the calendar for September, I like to give packs of cards for teacher gifts, lots of showers on the horizon and more birthday invites for the kids all the time. The fact is, no matter how many cards I make, I never have enough. This rack helps me have at least some of each at all times, as it makes me more visually aware. Company is always welcome to fip through and purchase them as well - it makes it fun for me) 

Still working on breaking in my new box of stamps - I created this one late last night using the Merry Christmas Snowflake Seal. 

Another bonus of my newly arranged area is that my sewing machine now has a space. I love sewing on cards and layouts - so there will definitely be more of that on my stuffs now. 

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As for other stuffs:

• I survived school shopping with the teenager last night
• Hubby went back to work yesterday and no - not everything got done on the honey do list last week. It is what it is. 
• I *think* I'm officially done school shopping - although Wendy would 'like' to go to Target to get fun and colorful school supplies. I personally like to wait until after school starts because it seems they never get a clear list of needs until then. 
• The senior got all registered for school yesterday - the middle schooler has orientation tomorrow.
• Tonight looks promising for ballooning
• So much for my plan to go grocery shopping this evening - that'll have to happen after ballooning. 
• I really really really like my new nook area. Still a few kinks to work out - but I'm getting so much more done. 
• And man, I love this weather. 
• Happy Tuesday!
• be good