Internet Inspiration

The Internet never ceases to amaze me. I just went on a wild web ride that took me all over the place and I ended up finding some good resources that are just too fabulous not to share.

It all started out because my Creating Keepsakes magazine is up for renewal. Now I think that I should still have several issues left because I was not only a CK subscriber but also Simple Scrapbooks and Digital Scrapbooking, both now defunct. Not the point of this post though.

I went online to see if I could find a better renewal rate than the $23.97 they were offering me. And I found out that CK Media was sold in September. Where have I been? And to a company that's here in Cambridge? Unbelievable. What on earth is going on in this industry?! I mean, I should have seen it coming with the demise of SS and Digital, and also Memory Makers, but still.

So in my quest to find out more about this (and try to determine if it's worth renewing CK or if this one's going belly-up too) I stumbled onto www.scrapbookupdate.com. I'd been on this site before and forgot how informative it is. Good stuff! There I saw that Becky Higgins has left CK so wandered over to her site www.beckyhiggins.com to read more and found this cool Life Story template: http://www.beckyhiggins.com/blog/ADULT.life.story.pdf that I'm itching to use.

Scrapbook Update also led me to Renee Pearson's new blog, which I'm looking forward to exploring when I've got Photoshop on my mind.

Somehow I then ended up at Angie Lucas's blog "yeah, right," (www.angielucas.com) which I am going to have to follow because I just love that she is a self-professed "word nerd" and scrapbooker! Gotta love someone whose post title is "A Quick Grammar Lesson." Angie mentions that she was a guest blogger over at Write.Click.Scrapbook and I got excited all over again about this inspirational site that I had first seen several months ago (then promptly forgot all about), started by ex-Simple Scrapbookers .

Angie also mentioned her e-book company site, www.ellapublishing.com and get this -- they have a FREE e-zine! I love e-zines and I love them when they're free even better! Check it out! Their cover story featured a layout by Moon Ko and a link to a short Q&A with her, which excited me since I have followed her work on TwoPeas because she is an 8.5 by 11 scrapper like me. So off I went to explore her blog, but not before I discovered 8.5 by 11 scrappers Diane Herman, Waleska Neris, Erin Sweeney and Caroline Ikeji. Can't wait to fully explore their blogs for more layout inspiration!

OK, now I have to go. No time for blogging, I have too many blogs to go read! So do I really need that CK subscription too? Yeah, I do, even for $23,97, or whatever it costs. I think I need to do my small part to keep this industry alive and if no one is willing to pay for content, there's no incentive for anyone to keep producing. The Internet is amazing but really, nothing in life is truly free. But that's a post for another day -- I'm off to soak up inspiration and play!

Quick Girly Card

Today's card was such a rush job and I thought I was going to hate it but I think the Making Memories Glitter Glaze turned it around in the end! I read to a public school student once a week at lunchtime through the Everybody Wins! Power Lunch program. I had my session with her this morning and realized last night at like 8:00 that her birthday was yesterday. We are not supposed to buy the students presents as they are supposed to learn to value the time we spend together reading but we are encouraged to give them cards so I like to make her a little something pretty. I know I would have loved this when I was 10!

This card was an inexpensive endeavor for me since the white CS was leftover from my wedding invitations and the pink, lavender and flowered papers were from a scrapbook page that I am still finishing up. The flower center and sentiment embellishments are just a circle punch from the pink CS with one of the many purple gems I got at the Christmas Tree shop for like $1. The letters in the name aren't stickers as they appear but the same letter stamps I used on the last cards I made. The Glitter Glaze I brushed onto the cardstock was an after-thought but I love it! Really hard to see in the scan but it looks go nice and girly in person.

Directions: Trim cardstock to 4.25 by 5.5 inch bottom-opening card. Brush with glitter glaze and let dry. Scallop the edge of pp and pink strips. Trim pp to cover about 1/3 of the card and pink CS to matte underneath. Stamp letters on lavender CS with Wisteria ink and cut each one out. Glue top edges to back of bottom of layered papers. Adhere entire piece to card. Punch lavender CS with word tag punch and stamp top tag with birthday sentiment (save other tags for future project). Attach to card and trim excess. Layer flowers and attach to card with glue dots. Punch two 1/4 circles from hot pink CS. Layer with gems and attach to flower center and edge of sentiment tag.

Supplies: White & lavender cardstock, DCWV Spring Glitter Stack hot pink CS and flowered pp, Studio G birthday stamp, small alpha stamps, Prima flowers, adhesive gems, Fiskars Scallop Sentiment border punch, circle hole punch, McGill retro word tags punch, Wisteria chalk ink, Making Memories Glitter Glaze, Zots glue dots

Still Stuck on Pink

What can I say? I seem to be stuck on pink lately! Well possibly because now I have a bunch of pink scraps on my desk since I haven't cleaned it off since my other projects.

This card is for my friend Kristina whose birthday is actually today but I am a bit late in the mailing. It's a bit of an odd size, slightly smaller than 5 by 7, but is is going in a box anyway. It is going to be sent with a hat and scarf that I knitted for her in this soft variegated-blue suede yarn and a pair of red, silver and black earrings with a matching bracelet that I also made. Yes pictures of these items would be nice but really I barely had time to finish them, never-mind photograph them!

I am not sure that I am loving the blue on this card but I thought it sort of went with the scarf. I also think maybe I overdid it with all of the gems AND the Stickles. Oh well, it was really late when I finished it last night so I can't claim it is my best work but hopefully she will like it.

One cool technique I did discover was that my black India ink pad stamps really well on coated cardstock and looks fabulous with this reversed alphabet (meaning the stamp makes the background and the letters stay the color of the paper). I think it will make me use this alpha more often!

Directions:
Cut card to 5 by 7 side-opening and scallop the right edge of the front panel. Trim strips of patterned paper to 4.5 inches wide and approximate heights as shown. Wrap ribbon around pink panel and tie bow around the ribbon. Attach all strips to card, aligning with the fold. Glue strip of black pp inside the card front so it shows behind the scalloped edge. Punch scalloped circles from black & pink pp and layer with foam flowers. Top with rhinestone flower and tiny clear gem. Die-cut swirls from white CS using Slice. Position above and below flower embellie on blue panel. Slide corsage pink through the bow and into small foam flower. Top flower with small clear gem. Stamp name with alphabet stamps using black ink on glossy CS. Cut out individual letters and attach. Edge strip of black dotted pp with upper crest punch. Attach tiny gem in each "valley." Apply Stickles to ends of each swirl.

Supplies:
Strips of patterned papers left over from other projects (bottom pink strip is DCWV Summer stack, blue is Target $1 spot, white swirl I stamped -- see the previous post, pink strip is cut from a gift bag), black & white ribbon, white cardstock, Icicle Stickles, foam flowers from kid's craft dept, corsage pink, letter stamps, rhinestone flower, tiny gems, Slice, Fiskars Scallop Sentiment & Upper Crest punches, Marvy scallop circle punches, Xyron

Pretty in Pink

I have two new cards for you today! Both of them are pink, which seems odd, considering it's October. The first one is a birthday card for my friend Katie. It's a bit of a takeoff on the last birthday card I posted. I bought her two books (craft cozies -- knitting fiction!) for her birthday and the gift bag I used was black, white and hot pink with dots and swirls. I'm not sure that these are really her colors, but I figured I'd make a card to match. We are going out to dinner tonight and I am excited to see her reaction.

I recently mentioned to Katie that I had crocheted some small flowers to use on cards and scrapbook pages and she said she hoped her birthday card would include one of the flowers, since we often "Stitch 'n' Bitch" together. I didn't use a birthday sentiment on the outside because I know she is sentimental and will probably keep the card, and this way she can put it in a frame if she wants. The card is 7 by 5 inches. I was excited to find in my stash the pink dotted flower but had the hardest time figuring out how to use it. I was happy to finally use some of the black flock that JoAnn's sent me (four containers instead of one!)

Directions
Cut white card to 7 by 5 bottom opening card. Stamp swirls repeatedly on white coated cardstock with black Staz On. Let dry. Trim, along with three other patterned papers, into 1.5 by 5 inch strips and attach to card. Use Treading Water punch along bottom of front panel of card. Trim black paper to 2 by 6 and round the corners on one end. Pierce holes around the edges and draw stitching lines with white gel pen. Wrap pink ribbon around bottom and tie bow. Die cut swirls from black paper and letters from white cardstock using Slice. Run through Xyron and then brush with glitter glaze while still attached to backing. Let dry. Attach letters to black panel. Attach panel to right bottom. Punch scalloped circle from white cardstock. Apply glue rub-on and cover with flock. Press in and then brush off excess. Attach pink silk flower and white crochet flower with crystal brad. Attach to card with foam squares. Attach swirls to card, applying gems to the ends. Attach flower gem to dot "i" with small glue dots.

Supplies
White cardstock, white glossy cardstock, scrap black glossy paper, DCWV Summer Glitter Stack pink patterned papers, unknown black dotted paper; Inkadinkado and Autumn Leaves swirl stamps; Black Staz On ink; Marvy scalloped circle, Fiskars Treading Water punches; K&Co (?) rub-ons for flocking; Black Stampendous flock; Slice die-cutting machine; White Stabilo gel pen; Making Memories clear glitter glaze; Xyron adhesive machine; Pink silk flower (from JoAnn's but unsure of brand); Crochet flower (I made it!); Offray ribbon; Making Memories crystal brad; Pink self-adhesive round and flower gems (unknown); foam squares; Zots glue dot


The second card is rather like the one I made for my husband's grandmother's 80th birthday, but I forgot to scan or photograph that one before I gave it to her, so I somewhat recreated it for my stash. What I like best is that I cut around the stamped butterfly wings, leaving the body attached, so the wings fold out from the card. I also messed up and forgot to add the stitching before I glued down the pink and flowered papers, so I cut a strip and attached it behind my scalloped edge to cover the stitching inside. Awkward to explain, but it looks really good, especially since it it two-sided paper so the flowered pattern make a border on the inside.


Directions
Trim ivory cardstock to 5 by 7 inch side-opening card. Scallop the edge of the front panel of card with border punch. Stamp butterfly on pink paper with brown ink. Trim around wings, leaving body attached and fold wings out. Stamp leaves below butterfly. Trim to fit, leaving scalloped edge showing, and attach to top half of card. Trim flowered paper, wrap lace around and attach to bottom of card. Stitch along edge. Trim strip of green paper (opposite side of flowered paper) to about 1 inch by 7 inches and attach to inside edge of card to cover up stitching. Layer pink Prima on cream one and attach to card with glue dots. Attach flower gem with glue dots. Attach pearls and pink gem to body of butterfly.

Supplies
Ivory cardstock; Pink SCWV paper; K&Co. Brenda Walton flowered paper; Lace scrap; Prima flowers; K&Co. butterfly stamp; Chestnut Roan and Olive Pastel Colorbox Chalk Inks; DMC brown embroidery floss; Fiskars border punch; Flower gem (unknown); adhesive pearls and pink gem (Nicole?); Zots glue dot

World Card Making Day is Tomorrow

Saturday, October 3 is World Card Making Day. I wish I could report that I have some kind of exciting plans, but I thought I had a conflict with a family event so I didn't schedule anything. Nonetheless, I'm planning to make three birthday cards tomorrow in my craft studio. I'm excited to use some new supplies that I picked up at an odd place -- the Christmas Tree Shop! Enabler alert: They have Martha Stewart punches for $3.99. Only two styles at my store but yours may have more!

I'll be sure to post my creations over the weekend or next week, but I wanted to leave you with some cards I made a few weeks ago to rev up my inspiration.


This first one was for my niece's 8th birthday so I made sure to use lots of pink and a little bling. I made the flower embellishment on the left side actually extends off of the card, so the card base is only 5.25 inches wide, allowing it to fit in a standard size envelope. The letters were made using my Slice, which I haven't been using enough. I brushed Stickles all over them to give them a bit of shine.

Card directions
1. Trim white cardstock to 5.25 by 8.5 and fold in half so the opening is at the bottom.
2. Trim flowered patterned paper to 5.25 by 4 and attach to card so .125 inch shows at top and bottom.
3. Die cut letters from white cardstock using Slice. Brush with Stickles and let dry.
4. Trim pink patterned paper strip so that it is taller than your letters and ink the top edge with brown ink.
6. Edge strip of white cardstock with scalloped border punch and attach edge to back of pink strip.
7. Wrap ribbon around seam and tie knot.
8. Stamp sentiment with brown ink on white cardstock and trim, round top corners, ink edges and attach edge to back of pink strip.
9. Attach pink strip section to middle third of card.
10. Glue on letters, leaving room for the flower embellishment.
12. Punch scalloped circle from white cardstock.
13. Punch flower from patterned paper scrap with circle punch and attach to white scalloped circle with foam tape.
14. Cut leaves from patterned paper scrap and attach to flower circle.
15. Spread stickles on flower and adhere gem to center.
16. Attach flower so that it overhangs the edge of the card by .25 inch.

Supplies
Paper: White cardstock, DCWV Summer Glitter stack patterned paper
Stamp: Studio G
Ink: Colorbox Chalk Chestnut Roan
Ribbon: Target
Punches: Fiskars Treading Water, EK Success scalloped circle and corner rounder.
Die cut letters: Making Memories Slice limited edition Seasons card
Gem: Nicole
Glitter: Stickles either Diamond or Crystal

The second card was for my Mom's birthday, only ten days after my niece's. This one is a similar design, with the scalloped circle flower extending off the right side, but with a more muted color palette. The little butterfly and staples give some added dimension.

Card directions
1. Trim ivory cardstock to 10.5 by 4.25 and fold to make a side opening card.
2. Trim blue cardstock to 5 by 4 and adhere.
3. Trim flower paper to 4.75 by 3.75, ink edges with pink and adhere.
4. Punch pink strip with border punch.
5. Trim strip of striped paper and adhere to pink strip.
6. Wrap rickrack around seam.
7. Attach pink strip.
8. Stamp sentiments on ivory carstock with purple ink and ink edges with pink.
9. Attach sentiments as shown, using staples on ends of bottom sentiment.
10. Punch butterfly from purple scrap cardstock. Fold in half, open and attach with staple.
12. Punch scalloped circle from blue cardstock and dot scallops with silver gel pen.
11. Punch circle from ivory cardstock and draw circle with template and silver gel pen. Attach to blue circle.
12. Punch three sizes of flowers and attach with foam tape to each other and ivory circle.
13. Finish flower with adhesive pearl.

Supplies
Paper: Ivory and light blue cardstock, scraps of pink and purple cardstock, Making Memories (floral print and stripes), DCWV (pink swirled)
Stamps: PSX (alpha), K&Co. (birthday sentiment)
Ink: Colorbox Chalk Wisteria and Pink Pastel
Punches: EK Success flower and butterfly punches, Martha Stewart border punch
Rickrack: Offray
Staples
Pen: Silver Uniball Gel Extreme
Pearl: K&Co