Not Quite Right Until Now

Morning Peeps!  Thought I'd share a Throwback Thursday/Revitalized Goody Box.  Sometimes you make something and you just know it isn't done, but you can't figure out how to finish it.  My mom used to create things and when they weren't "quite right" she'd stick them in a closet for a bit until they looked better to her. 

I made a bunch of these cards a couple years ago.  One of the sets got boxed up and was scooped up by a customer at a fair.  I didn't want to make the next box exactly the same, but I just couldn't decide what to do.

The rest of the cards were stashed away for another day and I waited (somewhat impatiently) for inspiration to strike.  In the meantime, two set of cards got rapid cello bag packaging.  I needed to thank the lunch ladies for saving me when I forgot my lunch, but the cafeteria was just about to shut down.  Going from 6:30 in the morning to 6 at night with only a yogurt really won't work.  Not if you are trying to corral 6 year olds and make it through an hour and a half staff meeting!

 

What to do with the remaining cards?????  They kinda sat in the "sorta finished bin" mocking me.  In a cute way of course. ;-) Finally a couple weeks ago I sat down and made myself look through all my papers to find something that would work!  I refused to allow myself to do anything with my fun newest goodies until I made a cute box for this set.  Happily I actually was able to spark some creativity with the fun banner paper and cool yellow pom-pom accessories.

 What project/s have you taken a long time to finish because they just weren't quite right the first time?

Love & Joy

A couple wedding/engagement cards to share today.  The sentiments are from Tailored Expressions and I can't say enough good about how yummy these stamps are to use!!!!!  They stamp like butter! If you haven't used their stamps, give them a try.  I haven't been disappointed!

The paper is from a kit club I joined over the summer.  It's run by a gal who used to teach classes at the LSS that I also taught a couple classes.  Boy do I miss that store!!!  Having a chance to meet up with fellow crafty folks for classes and social time.  Ugh, if you have a LSS please, please support it!  You have no idea how much you will miss it should it ever close.

Luckily I've hosted and participated in a couple card swap gatherings lately which at least give me a chance to meet up with folks, play with new & different goodies, share tips, and get some great skinny on the new stuff out there!

For instance, I had no idea that the MISTI existed! Luckily one of the other gals had us use hers to make her card at the swap I was in last month.  I just got one last week and am sooooo happy!  It is going to make mass production of valentines and Christmas cards way way easier.  So, once again, I implore you to patronize your LSS.  The info you get from meet ups at your LSS is invaluable.

Random Easter Goodies

Some more Easter goodies to share this Easter weekend!  I played around with lots of patterns again with this card and even stamped some bumble bees on the card base to liven it up.  As much as I have been crushing on aqua and aqua twine lately, I'm also totally obsessed with mustard.  Wacky right?  I think it is a combination of being a child of the 70's (mustard everything) and the fact that I cannot wear mustard, really any yellow, without looking like I'm about to keel over.  Forbidden fruit = mustard.  Hee-hee!

Found this little bunny gal in my stash of finished images.  You ever just color images to color them, or paper piece stuff for fun?  I do and then add them to a baggie I have of "done stuff".  They come in handy when I need to make something and am pressed for time!  That is when they aren't mocking me to use them! ;-)

Happy Easter Weekend!  Hope you get to enjoy some of it with family/friends!

Bunnies!

I've been playing around with lots of patterns and layers.  So many cards I have pinned lately seem to have cards with lots of colorful patterned paper and oodles of goodies on them.  It was time to dig into all those luscious pretties I have been hoarding!!!!

This one is a bit tamer than the last one.  I love how there are so many patterns and yet it still feels light.  The aqua twine is my major go to for dressing up cards lately.  I'll be sad when aqua falls out of fashion as a color choice.  It goes with EVERYTHING!  ;-)

Surprise, surprise! I actually know what stamps I used on these cards!  The images and sentiment are from Papertrey Ink.  I colored everything with my Copic markers.  Sadly, I have no idea where the washi and bling in from.  The papers are a mix of a bunch of companies that were in my scraps pile, so anyone's guess on those!

Do you keep your scraps in a scrap bin, in with the paper, or something different?

Deepest Sympathy Bouquets

I have a couple more sympathy cards to share today.  These were a request from an Etsy customer and I'm really pleased with how they came out.

The chipboard and variety of patterns add some textural interest without being to overwhelming.  I really like using chipboard flowers and that MFT leaf die.  It's meant to be a tropical leaf, but I use it for everything.  It's a major go-to die for me.  I'm not sure I ever use the flowers that it came with in its set!!!

I had hoarded the butterfly and the flowers under it for ages not really finding anything I could do with them, but when I had all the other parts spread out these got accidentally mixed in and it was kismet---(or maybe it is because my table was a complete catastrophe and I got lucky from being messy!).

I've depleted my leaf supply recently.  Think I see a Netflix marathon and my die cutter in my future.  ;-)

Teacups, Teacups, Teacups

This image is a favorite of mine.  I went gonzo last spring and colored oodles of these teacups. Seriously, I made at least 20 of these I think.  What can I say? It was a REALLY LONG COLD SNOWY WINTER here in New England and I had to do something to bring color into those very wintry white days. Funny how bad last winter was considering I've worn flip-flops multiple times this past February. Mid-50's and 60's is like 80 degree weather up here! Hope we won't be paying for this with a cold wet summer- or worse a ridiculously hot drought-filled summer!

I sold some of them at work, sent some of them to family/friends, and loaded the rest into my Etsy shop.  All the teacup cards in my shop have had sentiments for Mother's Day added to the inside.

They were wicked fun to color!  Each set had a different personality emerge as the color combos were filled in on each cup.  Sometimes it is just fun to color like when you were a kid.  It is even better when you are a grownup and have really cool supplies to use for the coloring!!! My Copics sure beat my marker 8 pack from my childhood. 😉

I didn't have anything in mind when I colored them, so it was a fun scavenger hunt of sorts to find papers and embellishments that went with each set. Really helped me throw caution to the wind by digging out lots of luscious patterned papers from my stash to combine. This was also a great way to remind me to use my different border dies and punches that were very lonesome on my table.  😊

My great grandmother, I called her Grandma Jett though I haven't any idea why since Jett wasn't in her name anywhere (not surprising since I gave all my grandparents nicknames that had nothing to do with their actual names), had a small collection of teacups that I used to dust for her when I was little.  It is rather amazing that she let me anywhere near them.  I would have worried that a kid my age would have broken them!

As I type this, I have a sneaking suspicion that I may have that collection sitting in my basement storage.  If that is the case, I really should get them out.  Pretty things should be seen, not stored, or there's not point to having them!!! I'm gonna sign off now and rummage in my disaster area that I call the basement.  Maybe I'll make some tea first...

Carrots for Sale

A few cute Easter cards to share today.  These are 4.25"x 4.25" cards using an old Amuse image.  It's such a fun image to color because it is quick to bring to life.  He's such a happy carrot seller!

I'm trying to get some Easter goodies made to send to family (and to load into my Etsy shop).  I may use this same general format for an upcoming card swap gathering.  Each person is supposed to bring the goods for 8-10 folks to be able to make a card.  It has to be a fairly simple card because, like a cookie swap, we all walk away with 8-10 new cards.  Unlike a cookie swap though, you make the cards at the party- hence the has to be fairly easy to assemble.  You don't want your card to be the one that causes a log-jam and slows everyone else down!

What about you?  Any fun plans coming up?