Another Insignificant yet Tremendous Crafting Achievement

     One of my very favorite feelings is that of (even arbitrary) achievement.  Luckily, crafting provides a perfect opportunity for this, as each time I finish a project I not only get to experience the joy of a (hopefully) beautiful aesthetic creation, but also the rush of pride that accompanies putting a thing out in to the world.  To heighten this even more, I often love to set arbitrary challenges for myself.  Challenges often help me jump-start my creativity when I get in a bit of a rut artistically, beyond their simple benefit of the completion-rush.

     All this brings me to my recent predicament, and sudden triumph in the way of crafting challenges.  Due to my previously mentioned Tuesday Morning obsession, I have managed to amass a fair amount of Christmas paper (yes, by fair amount I mean an ungodly sum).  I am the typical crafter in that I love to horde my supplies, especially when it comes to the gorgeous papers that are put out in Christmas lines.  In addition to this collectors mentality, I also am way to eager to dive in to new supplies, frequently jumping from collection to collection as I acquire new things.  This results in crises of scraps that, though I endeavor to organize them, often sit for months at a time.  Additionally, despite my seeming constant crafting, I am embarrassed to admit that I have never finished an entire paper pack. 

     Due to my current excess of Christmas paper, my desire to buy more, my plethora of scraps, and my seeming inability to use all the paper from a pack, I decided to set myself upon working my way through an entire paper pack.  I started my task on a softball: Crate Paper’s Bundled Up collection.  

The paper pack from the http://crate.typepad.com/cratepaper/2013/07/my-entry.html blog

     It’s not hard to imagine working through all of this paper.  Though the fact that I have the 6x6 version from this collection is a definite help, it is also absolutely adorable and thus not hard to utilize.  After a mini album, 10 tags, and a very useful hexagonal punch card design, I knocked out all of the paper.

     Now that I’ve finished, I love looking at all the different incarnations of the collection in different styles of paper craft.  This among many motivations fueled me to continue on with this paper collection-finishing business.  I have now set my eyes firmly upon the Heidi Swapp Believe collection.  I picked this paper up years ago at Michaels, and it was one of my first when learning to make cards.  I’ve whittled my way down to the last few basics papers, which I think can be easily mixed with many other collections.  I can’t wait to continue on this path of completion, as I have felt quite stalled in my creative life as of late.  (My extended) Christmas season is coming right around the corner, so it’s about time I kick my crafting operation in to high gear!

A Troubling Obsession…My Addiction to Tuesday Morning

The unassuming exterior hides treasures within

     My love affair with Tuesday Morning actually started by complete happenstance.  I’d seen the storefront for years, yet never ventured inside (though this could be due the absolutely magical Mexican Food restaurant that sucks all my focus and resides in the exact same strip mall).  Honestly, I should probably be thanking my lucky stars: the amount of money I spend on a taco-enchilada combo is far less than my every trip to the crafting promise land, but no matter.  

     I discovered this beautiful craft haven through one of my neighbors, who casually mentioned to me that she had seen some punches the last time she had visited Tuesday Morning.  I sat on this tip for a few months, not fully trusting the offhand mention of goodies.  Maybe subconsciously I was avoiding the disappointment that would come from amazingly cheap craft supplies being less quality than envisioned, or maybe I had some prediction of how much money could start to flow freely from my hands the second I entered the store, but eventually I bucked up and made the short trip over.  It is at this moment that my crafting life changed irrevocably.  

     Paper pads, brads, and chipboard Oh My!  Tuesday Morning exposed me not only to new products (believe it or not I didn’t own a single 6x6 paper pack before my new love affair), but it also gave me access to brands I had only seen on the beautiful world of the internet.  The prices are unbeatable and often irresistible, and the lure of the hunt is something that draws me in each time.  The troubling amount of satisfaction I feel from unearthing a Pink Paislee christmas ephemera pack or and American Crafts travel paper pack is only comparable to Indiana Jones first laying eyes upon the Arc of the Covenant.  The magnificent deals offered feel even more rewarding as I convinced myself that I’ve discovered them on the sweat of my own brow.

     The somewhat bittersweet fact of my geography is that I am in veritably surrounded by Tuesday Morning locations.  Not only do I visit the one closest to me, I also hold the longer trips to other locations as treats of sorts.  The staff at the closest store is now unsurprised when they see me day after day, we have formed an informal relationship of sorts.  I have unintentionally learned their shifts. Now, I look forward to hearing the familiar trill of the Scottish Woman and the comforting sight of the girl with the Rebel Alliance tattoo (I’m still working up the courage to tell her how awesome it is, but I am slightly concerned that it means something else other than an homage to Star Wars and thus would breed quite an awkward encounter).

     The feeling I might need to cut back on my Tuesday Morning adventures has begun to creep in to my life, but somehow I have a sneaking suspicion that despite the worrisome looks from friends and family, this love affair will continue to rage as fiery as the forge of Mount Doom (-a Lord of the Rings and a Star Wars reference in the same post!  I hope the venn diagram between craft lovers and fantasy fanatics holds quite a large crossover).  

     As every Tuesday Morning is slightly different, I would love to hear about your guys’ purchases and experiences at your local stores! I’m a sucker for a great crafting haul...

Trick or Treat- Card Tutorial #11

     Hi crafters!  Welcome back to the Halloween Haunts series.  I can't believe Halloween is only a week away, this month seems to be flying by.  Only three more cards left next week before we're off to a whole other set of festivities.  Today's card includes copic coloring, a technique I can't seem to be getting enough of as of late. 

I love the new orange copic combination I've discovered recently!

     I elected to use my traditional Neenah paper to make a top-folding A2 card for this Halloween item.  To make a background piece, I selected a piece of We R Memory Keepers Bewitched pattern paper and ran it through my die cutting machine with a Lawn Fawn stitched border die.  I decided to use another Lawn Fawn die, the polaroid, to be the focal point of the design.  I used my Lawn Fawn Spooktacular Stamp set to emboss the die with the 'TRICK or treat' sentiment.  Next, I stamped the pumpkin and witches hat image in Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  To color the pumpkin I used YR04, YR07, and YR18.  The hat used four shades of violet (V01, V04, V06, V09) and two shades of grey (C5, C7).  To dress up my traditional vellum polaroid backing, I pulled out the bat images from another Lawn Fawn set (Happy Haunting) and stamped them in black StazOn ink.  After adhering everything down, I decided that the card still needed a little something.  I wanted to try a new technique with my copic markers, so I broke out my flat back pearls and coated them with YR04, YR07, and Black 100.  After adhering the pearls in little clusters, the card was complete!

The completed Halloween number

     Thanks for stopping by today friends!  I hope you have a great (and busy) week leading up to Halloween. See you soon!

estimated time= 35 minutes

Spooky Science-Card Tutorial #10

     Hey friends!  Welcome to my double card Wednesday!  For my second card today, I decided to crack open a new stamp set.  I love these test tube images from Inkadinkado.  They are such a unique visual that still are super fun and fitting for a lighthearted Halloween stamp.  Additionally, they give me the opportunity to do some great, big copic coloring using nontraditional Halloween colors!

I love the bright colors on this card!

     I decided on a Neenah Solar White 110 lb cardbase to make a top-folding A2 card.  For the patterned paper I selected a sheet from my We R Memory Keepers Bewitched 6x6 paper pack.  Then, I got started on my coloring.  I stamped four of the test tube images on to Neenah Solar White 80 lb cardstock.  The colors I used were YR04, YR07, YR18 (oranges), YG03, G14 (greens), B00, B02, B04 (blues), and V04, V06, V09 (purples).  After fussy cutting the images and adhering them with foam adhesive, I painted the entire image with my glitter brush pen.  I knew I wanted to use the 'Happy Halloween' sentiment from the collection, and decided to emboss in white on to black card stock to give a blackboard-ish look.  I then broke out my black and white bakers twine to tie a bow and finish off the project!

This card is perfect for any little (or big) kids

     So that finishes up today's double dose of Halloween fun!  I hope you all enjoyed it and I will see you back here Friday for the next Halloween escapade!

estimated time= 40 minutes

Happy Haunting- Card Tutorial #9

     Hey crafters!  It's double post day!  I hope you don't mind, I decided to do some copic coloring on both of the cards (what can I say...I'm addicted). In this first card, I took the coloring a step further to create a three-dimensional piece.  I love creating little elements like this house ahead of time whenever I have a spare moment.  It makes it so much easier to throw together a quick card if I'm crunched for time.  Speaking of being efficient, let's get to it!

I just love the dimensional look:)

     To begin, I cut and scored a standard size top-folding card from black Bazzill cardstock.  Next, I ran a piece of Neenah Solar White 80 lb cardstock through my Sissix with a cuttlebug honeycomb embossing folder.  I decided it was about time I began my coloring.  Using my Memento Tuxedo Black ink I stamped the house image from the Lawn Fawn Happy Haunting set three times.  I used C1, C5, and C7 to color and shade the grey areas while Y15, and Y17 worked out perfectly for the windows.  Using an exacto knife, I cut out each layer of the house and pieced them together with foam adhesive.  To finish up the house, I coated the windows with the Kuretake Zig Wink of Stella Glitter Brush pen in clear and topped that in glossy accents.  Leaving that to dry, I turned to creating the sentiment.  I use a sentiment from the stamp set with StazOn black ink.  To finish up the sentiment strip I cut a banner edge on the right side and added a bakers twine bow on the left.  After adhering everything down, I decided that a white stitched border was necessary (what a shocker).  

The finished card business

     Thanks for stopping by today friends!  I hope you stay tuned for the next installment of Halloween Haunts later today!

estimated time= 60 minutes

Thanks Polaroid-Card Tutorial #8

     Hi friends! So it looks like I might have already dropped the ball on this Monday, Wednesday, Friday posting business... I guess I might just have to double up on Wednesday to make up for it!  Today I have a thank you card to share with you.  I find that thank you cards are the type of cards I need the most, and the ones I have the most trouble making.  This layout is perfect to make multiples of and then have on hand for easy access.

A close up of the sentiment

     To start this card I cut and scored a top folding card out of 80 lb Neenah Desert Storm card stock.  I then used a Lawn Fawn Stitched Border die to cut my Studio Calico Wanderlust Collection paper.  Next, I used my Lawn Fawn Polaroid die with Neenah Solar White 80 lb paper.  I then cut a sheet of Recollections vellum to back the 'polaroid'.  I've been dying to use some vellum as of late, so this design element was über satisfying.  I knew I wanted to use letter stickers, so I found a set of white stickers and then colored them with copics to match the patterned paper.  Finally, I added my traditional finishing touches (bakers twine, dashed lines, and flat back pearls), and voila! Card Complete!

I'm in love with this patterned paper pack! 

      So there it is friends! I hope you are having a great October so far.  I'll be seeing you later this week with tons more Halloween fun!

estimated time= 30 minutes

You are Spooktacular-Card Tutorial#7

     Hello crafters! Today's card is a super simple Halloween number.  I wanted to use my Lawn Fawn Spooktacular stamps as well as some copic coloring.  This would be a great card to reproduce in mass quantities if you wanted to include a little Halloween sentiment with a treat for your neighbors or friends!

A little close up

     I started by using my Martha Stewart Scoring board to create a standard size side-folding card from Bazzill card stock.  Next, I stamped the three little ghosts in Memento Tuxedo Black ink on to Neenah Solar White card stock.  I colored them in using the C1 and C5 grey copics, and finished them off with a coating from my Kuretake Zig Wink of Stella Glitter pen in Clear.  I then moved to my Recollections Halloween 6x6 paper pad to select the chevron and striped papers.  Before adhering everything down, I embossed the 'you are spooktacular' sentiment in American Crafts white embossing powder.  Finally, I was ready to adhere everything down, using my ATG tape runner for the patterned paper and foam adhesive for the ghosts.

The completed card! (I decided the corners needed some last minute rounding)

     I hope you enjoyed the card for today!  I am loving my new Lawn Fawn Halloween stamps and I can't wait to play with the other images in the set. Thanks for stopping by!

estimated time= 30 minutes