a brace of cardinals

i didn't set out to make two quite plain cardinal cards, it just sort of happened. i needed a couple of wintery--but not christmassy--thank you cards, and when i saw this picture on the cover of the ll bean catalog, i thought how perfectly suited it was to the task! there's a bit of a winter-themed poem by shelley* on there, and some machine stitching, and some rhinestones... (which are covering up the spelling error in my first attempt at typing the poem) ...and that's it.

i liked the first card enough that when i needed another, i decided to look for a cardinal picture in broderbund printshop's clipart gallery, and i really liked this watercolory, slightly abstract one:

i put the sentiment on digitally, printed the whole thing on photo paper, and distressed the edges...and it looked pretty good...but you know i can never stand to have something just be *flat* so i decided to enhance the main branch with some machine stitching, and then i attached the image to my card in the same way.

ok. i'm ready for spring now. :)

**********

(materials for both cards: core'dinations cardstock; photos from a catalog and a clipart cd, respectively; michaels gems; "you are loved" font; tonic edge distresser; sewing machine; manual typewriter)

*excerpt from "the question" by percy bysshe shelley:

i dreamed that, as i wandered by the way,

bare winter suddenly was changed to spring,

and gentle odours led my steps astray,

mixed with a sound of waters murmuring

along a shelving bank of turf, which lay

under a copse, and hardly dared to fling

its green arms round the bosom of the stream,

but kissed it and then fled,

as thou mightst in dream.

52Q: 46 (glow) ...and... 2010 journal project

did you think i forgot all about 52Q?? well, i didn't, and in fact i've been reading--and mentally answering--the questions each week; but i got so occupied with the holidays, that was as far as i got! my goal is to get caught up before the year's end...but i will settle for early 2010 and feel quite pleased if i make it! to that end, here is...

question 46: what makes you glow?

(materials, front & back: patterned paper: sass; letter masks: heidi swapp; spray inks: glimmer mist & smoosh; chalk ink: colorbox; gem flourishes: oriental trading co; pink & clear glitter glue: michaels; other: sewing machine, manual typewriter; adhesives: uhu gluestick, tombow monorunner)

text reads, "i know that it's a mistake to get too hung up on external validation, especially with regard to art; but somehow it just never stops being exciting when someone else GETS the things you thought nobody would...and then takes the time to tell you so!"

as i finish up this year's journaling project, i am also looking ahead--and looking forward to--next year's journaling project, which i am very pleased and proud to announce is being hosted by my lovely blogging friend gina, of tyggereye art! gina will be hosting "HEART the ART" for which she will be providing us with a brand new journal prompt each and every saturday of 2010...starting this coming saturday, january 3rd!

personally, i cannot wait to see what my very talented and creative friend has in store, and i hope lots of you will be excited to join in, as well! read all about it on this post...and then hopefully i'll see you in the flickr group next week! is this the best new year's present EVER, or what?! (thanks, g!)

did she say, "CROBOT"?

uh-huh.
as in, "crocheted robot".
you know, kind of like this one:

i got this book a couple of months ago and did all the crocheting part of "mechanobot" (pictured above) whilst we were visiting LHJ's parents at thanksgiving.* it only needed an hour or so to do the making up, but did ~YOU~ have a spare hour between thanksgiving & xmas?? yeah, me neither. so i finished him off on our christmas visit to said lovely in-laws' domicile, where he was admired by all, albeit with some bemusement and ONE quite snarky cousin's speculation that "amigurumi" might be a japanese word meaning "pointless". then AFTER the funeral** we had snacks, so all was well again.

hooray for crobots!!!!! ♥♥♥

*i'm almost exclusively a travel knitter (and crochet-er). because when i am at home there is just waaaaaay too much paper around for me to work on yarn-based projects. but i do LOVE to make these little dudes and whenever we're set to go ANYWHERE my knitting bag is the first thing to be packed!

** i'm kidding, of course. absolutely no cousins were harmed in the making of this crobot, though my conviction that there are some people who will never receive anything i have spent time hand-making was confirmed. in spades.

small things come in good packages

...or...

a couple of ways to make the ubiqitous holiday giftcard look more like a gift, without spending a fortune on those little pre-made holder thingies!

first up, the tin-full-of-candies trick: this 4 x 2 x 1" tin was recycled from a set of paperchase mini LED xmas tree lights, but you could use a mint tin or one of the many cute containers that prima flowers & other supplies come in.


next, a sweet little giftcard wallet that i based very loosely on a FAB dina wakley project that darling stef sent me a link to last week. of course when i went to make mine, i couldn't find the pics and wound up winging it...but the basic idea of a tri-fold with pockets inside and stitching all round the edges is there, and i really like how this came out!

tomorrow we take a break from the never-ending christmas...i have a crafty surprise that's COMPLETELY DIFFERENT!!!

**********

(materials for both projects: patterned paper & silver rub-ons: basic grey; red glitter rub-ons & white snowflake stickers: k&co; silver glitter rub-on & fancy brad: making mamories; pink glitter snowflakes: martha stewart; chipboard tag: fancy pants; red poinsettias & holly leaves: prima; whte poinsettias & snowflake ribbon: ichaels; red ribbon: doodlebug; gem flourish (trimmed to fit): oriental trading; corner rounder: ek success; inks: colorbox; adhesives: tombow mono runner, 3m foam tape, sewing machine)

when gift-wrapping FINALLY becomes an olympic event...

...i'm fairly confident of scoring at least a bronze medal. maybe even silver, if they have a special category for giftbags. i made a lot of giftbags this year. (note to the retailers of the world: why does nothing come IN A BOX anymore?? eh???!? boxes are reassuring. and easy to wrap. we customers LIKE boxes, ok?!? thank you.) i chose to further specialize in the verrrrrrry-VERY-last-minute, mass-produced but personalized, digi-hybrid bag. want to see some? (please note, the continuation of today's blog post depends on your saying, "YES" at this juncture.) (no pressure.)

i made kid ones:

(digistuffs: jolly little friends stickers no 1: mindy terasawa, designer digitals; kraft diecut paper pack (re-colored): jessie edwards, designer digitals; font: cafe rojo; software: broderbund printshop; scrappistuffs: brads: making memories; cardstock: staples; plain bags, adhesive felt snowflakes, jingle bells, ribbon & maribou trim: michaels; adhesves: 3m foam tape, hot glue)

i made lady ones:

(digistuffs: free fancy gift tags set: rhonna farrer, 2peas; swirly frame brushes; scrap-n-fonts; software: broderbund printshop; scrappistuffs: fancy velvet brads: marah johnson, creative imaginations; gems: mambi; spray ink: smoosh; glitter & silver ink pens: sakura; glossy photo paper: kodak; plain bags, tissue, lace, deconstructed poinsettia & holly garlands: michaels; adhesve: tombow mono runner, 3m foam tape)

i made gentleman ones:

(digistuffs: see-through snowflake elements: rhonna farrer, 2peas; distressed edge tool kit: rhonna farrer, house of 3; powder paper pack: gretchen thomas, designer digitals; fonts: bleeding cowboys, freeze, porcelain & metallic avocado; software: broderbund printshop; scrappistuffs: acryllic snowflakes (made into dangles with jumprings & fishing wire): mambi; snowflake stickers: ek success; snowflake punch: papersource; brads: making memories; cardstock: staples; plain bags, tissue, ribbon & trim: michaels; adhesves: 3m foam tape, hot glue)

there were a few more, but they were basically variations on the same themes. i'm proud to say that the bags were a big hit, as were the presents within, which consisted mostly of giftcards and savings bonds, with a variety of small presents: xmas ornaments, candy, lipgloss, reindeer slipper socks (a HUGE hit with the nieces) and so forth.

before i go, here is lauren's "blindingly obvious--in retrospect" tip of the day: if you're the only crafty member of a group participating in a "secret santa" type gift exchange, making personalized & embellished giftbags WILL NOT help preserve your anonymity. not even a little bit. :)

wherever you are, whatever you're doing:

♥

we

wish

you a

merry

christmas

we wish you a

merry christmas

we wish you a merry

christmas and a happy

new

year

♥

all the very best

to you and your family

from lauren & lhj!

♥

best of the rest, part 2

continuing on from yesterday, in no particular order; here are the last few holiday cards, i hope you enjoy them!

paris pcs: postcards: cavellini; patterned paper: making memories, my mid's eye; vintage: sheet music & tartan ribbon; cardstock: core'dinations; gem flourishes, florals & leaves: prima; brads: making memories, queen&co; nk: colorbox; adhesives: tombow mono runner, 3m foam tape, sewing machine

cardinals: cardstock: core'dinations; patterned paper: basic grey, making memories, vintage sheet music;cardinals, branches & pinecone stickers: martha stewart; holly stickers: mambi; glitter rub-ons: k&co; label dies: nestabilities; inks: ranger, colorbox; adhesives: uhu gluestick, 3m foamtape, tombow mono runner; other: vintage tartan ribbon, sewing machine

best of the rest, part 1

the rest of the christmas cards, that is. since i was finishing up so late, and making them in groups of 2 or 3 similar cards for each idea, i didn't photo every single one. i'm short on witty patter at this point, too, so without further ado may i present, for your viewing pleasure, a random grouping of MORE CHRISTMAS CARDS!!!

(patterned paper: autumn leaves, basic grey, doodlebug, scrapbook wizard, vintage sheet music; rub-ons: hambly; ribbon: michaels; snowflake punch: paper source; pearls: kaiser; brads: queen&co; label dies: nestabilities; labels: dymo; inks: colorbox, ranger;adhesives: uhu gluestick, tombow mono runner, 3m foam tape, sewing machine)

(reindeer traced from a basic grey chipboard ornament; patterned paper: love elsie, dcwv+ vintage sheet music; inks: colorbox; labels: dymo; stickers: k&co; adhesives: uhu gluestick, tombow mono runner, sewing machine)

(reindeer cut from paperchase giftcard; patterned paper: love elsie, dcwv, autumn leaves, paper source glitter giftwrap, corrugated cardboard, vintage sheet music; inks: colorbox; outline pen: copic; snowflake punch: paper source; brad: queen&co; labels: dymo; adhesives: tombow mono runner, 3m foam tape & doublestick tape, sewing machine)

happy christmas eve eve!!!

i think this is the last of this year's monsta cards...

there are still a few more xmas card photos in the pipeline: i have reindeer, both cute and elegant; some cool (almost minimalist) (no, really!) cardinals; a couple of eiffel tower ones i quite like...but i b'lieve this is the last official 2009 xmas monsta card. so let's enjoy it, shall we?

(monstas cut from paperchase giftwrap; patterned paper: love elsie, papersource glitter giftwrap, vintage sheet music; ink: colorbox; labels: dymo; adhesives: tombow mono runner, 3m foam tape, sewing machine)

i only finished making my last few cards last night. this is the latest i have EVER been!!! and yet, the world has not ended. and hopefully the recipients will still be pleased to see them on saturday...or monday... plus, some of the ones from the very end are rather cool, i think. so i'm just gonna go with it and get on with the wrapping now.

i'm kind of proud of this one...

...the couple for whom it is intended have just become brand new parents of boy/girl twins! so it's a welcome card AND a christmas card...and...a bit of a metaphor, as well!!! :)

(patterned paper: prima, love elsie, ki, basic grey, scrapbook wizard, dcwv, doodlebug + vintage sheet music; stickers: creative imaginations & k&co; gems: michaels; ink: colorbox; outliner: copic; adhesives: tombow mono runner, 3m foam tape, sewing machine)

i got A LOT more cards made over the weekend, by virtue of shutting off the computer for 36 hours and being snowed in! now i just have to photo them and--oh yeah--MAIL THEM!!!

right. i'm off!

hope you are having a very happy first day of winter...OR...first day of summer...depending on your hemisphere!
♥♥♥

it's not a re-run...it's an ENCORE PRESENTATION!

taking a cue from network television, i am repositioning the monsta cards in a more advantageous marketing context! (how's it going so far??!)

actually, it's just the slogans on the monsta cards that are recycled from last year...the designs are new...and of course i was not addicted to machine stitching in 2008.

this was one of my favorite lines last year...and it still is!

(monsta cut from paperchase giftwrap; patterned paper: basic grey, dcwv, prima, love elsie + a scrap of vintage sheet music; blue glossy cardstock: jam paper; inks: colorbox; pen: copic outliner; adhesives: tombow mono runner, 3m foam tape, sewing machine; flower punch (to make bite marks): marvy)

my mother saw the monsta cards for the first time the other day, and rather to my surprise she found them hilarious! we spent a fun (if exceedingly chilly) day out together in new york, she wanted to see the tree and decorations at rockefeller center, and the gorgeous christmas windows at the department stores (lord and taylor were our favorites this time). we've done this a few years now, and i think it may become a holiday tradition. having grown up on long island, my mom remembers being taken to see the lights and sights at christmas time as a little girl--and apparently the current ones hold up pretty solidly to her fond memories! (well done, nyc!) this year we found a sweet little collection of holiday shops that is set up in bryant park for the month of december, had a delicious lunch of crepes and brandade at la bonne soupe, and toured the magnificent saint patrick's cathedral.

houston, we have a label!

a christmas card mailing label, that is.

i confess that i do tend to obsess a bit over my holiday labels; i like them to be as cool as the cards inside. even so, i'm not sure i've ever spent this much time on one 3 x 4" project in my entire life...mostly because i just could not commit to a single idea. then i saw this gorgeous layout in the designer digitals gallery, and i realized that thanks to all of the 25 cent xmas specials DD has had this month, i actually owned a bunch of the same stuff the artist used. then it all sort of came together in a rush.

(patterned paper, circle tag, red floral: gabriella kit, laura skathi, funky playground; ledger paper: ledger grids #1, katie pertiet, designer digitals; gingham ribbon: indian summer nights kit, marci reckinger, funky playground; lace, tag ribbon: betsy's room kit, corina nelson, funky playground; xmas tree: collaged santa trees #1, katie pertiet, designer digitals; bread tag & staples: groceria words holiday: katie pertiet, designer digitals; word stickers: christmas cut-ups: katie pertiet, designer digitals; frame: notebook edged frames: katie pertiet, designer digitals; santa bingo: holida game cards: katie pertiet, designer digitals; initial b & text flower: from my bookshelf, katie pertiet, designer digitals; dangly tiny tag: winter park, katie pertiet, designer digitals; green mesh: bad boys kit, gretchen thomas, designer digitals; reindeer: jolly friends stickers #1, mindy terasawa, designer digitals; font: ck typewriter, scrap-n-fonts)

wouldja believe there are 25 products on this baby?! yeah, it turns out no matter whether i am using physical or virtual products, i like a lot of layers. A LOT of layers! well, at least i am consistent, eh?! :)

not a monsta...but a bit triumphant

i think this one's sort of clever (she said modestly!) i've used a cuttlebug leaf die and a smaller leaf punch to make a poinsettia...which i then machine stitched onto my card.

(patterned paper: basic grey, autumn leaves, doodlebug + a bit of vintage sheet music; cardstock: dcwv; sentiment sticker: making memories; label die: nestabilities; leaf die: cuttlebug; leaf punch: mcgill; inks: colorbox; gems: mambi adhesives: tombow mono runner & sewing machine)

ok, so it's not rocket science, but finally i've come up with something i genuinely LIKE...and...it's mass-produce-able! this may well be the first time i've had BOTH of those categories overlap in the same card. certainly it's the first time in this xmas season!!! i now believe there's a chance that most of my card list may actually receive something BEFORE april!!! (wahey!!!)

triumphant return of the monsta card!!!

i realized last night that what was holding me back from making additional monsta cards was the fact that i couldn't think of any new monsta sentiments, and somehow it seemed wrong to "re-use" the ones from last year. then, as he so often does, lovely husband jeff set me straight, by pointing out that i do not invent entirely new christmas sentiments for my ordinary cards each year... (which, of course, i don't) ...and if it's ok to interpret "i'm dreaming of a white christmas" in lots of different ways, surely it's also fine to re-use "pink christmas beats white christmas any day!" as well.

so i did. :)

(monsta cut from paperchase giftwrap; patterned paper: creative imaginations, doodlebug, scrapbook wizard, prima; snowflake punch: paper source; teeeeny brads: queen&co; outline pen: copic; ink: colorbox; other:

dymo labeller; adhesives: xyron, tombow monorunner, 3m foam tape, sewing machine)

thus my thought for the day is this: if there's something you want to do...DO IT! there are always gonna be people who like what you do and people who find fault...TRY TO ALWAYS BE in the first group...and then stop worrying about the second!!!

that LHJ...sigh...he's a genius, isn't he?!

(am i a lucky DUCK or what?!!?!)

♥♥♥♥♥

three by three mrs. noah filled the card ark

(that MIGHT be the strangest post title i have ever typed...but i'm running out of time at warp speed, so it's STAYING!) :)

so i sat down last night with this week's super sketchy sunday sketch from 365 cards (day 288):

and here's what i came up with. it's definitely a loose version of the sketch, but i kind of like it:

i had pre-cut a bunch of those ornaments from some k&co xmas paper a couple of weeks ago, and i decided to use up the rest while i was at it. i *know* i cut THREE of each color scheme--which means that somewhere in my house, car or general habitat there's a third red ornament--but i'll be darned if i could find it last night!!!


i cut each ornament from the patterned paper with a piece of coordinating cardstock held behind it, to make "shadows" for each one. (both pieces are cut to exactly the same size; then i adhered the main image to the cardstock at a very slight offset, to make a sort of "drop shadow" for each ornament.) it's exactly the same amount of effort, but i love the effect it gives!

we've definitely gotten to christmas "CRUNCH TIME"...so OF COURSE my back has started to play up! i apologize in advance for being even less attentive this week with regard to emails and blurfing, but i am starting to struggle with time issues and i REFUSE to put myself into a panic situation, so pleeeeeease bear with me, ok?! THANKS!!!

♥♥♥♥♥

(materials for all three cards: patterned paper: k&co, dcwv, autumn leaves, doodlebug; cardstock: core'dinations; diecut label shape: nestabilities; ribbon: michaels + vintage metallic silver; flowers: prima + vintage silver; noel diecut: dcwv; brads: making memories & one heart one mind; button: vintage; adhesives: tombow mono runner, 3m foam tape, sewing machine)

seriously...

if this DOES NOT make you at least chuckle a little bit...

...you should probably get your laffer checked and serviced!!!

**********

completely unrelated ps: if you're not registered at designer digitals, you should be! they're currently celebrating "12 days of christmas" with a brand new seasonal item each day for 25 cents and a different bunch of 25% off things each day! even if you're not into holiday stuff, they have two new 25 cent items every single week all year long!

consider yourself enabled, ok?! ;)

(3x) 2S4Y (K41) = 2S, 1R*...2cute??

(that's 3 times 2 sketches 4 you (kazan #41) equals 2 santas, 1 reindeer. obviously. and yet still, somehow, people think i'm no good at mathematics. weird.)

as usual i'm just making it in under the deadline for kazan's sketch #41:

but i've made three cards, which i feel redeems me slightly:

(patterned paper: creative imaginations, autumn leaves, love elsie, dcwv + paper source glitter giftwrap + vintage plaid ribbon; cardstock: core'dinations; mini bingo cards: jenni bowlin; stickers & diecuts: dcwv & making memories; chipboard circles: gin-x; ink: colorbox; circle punch: marvy; border punch: fiskars; adhesives: tombow mono runner, 3m foam tape, sewing machine)

they're slightly "cuter" tham i usually go...but they're for the nieces' families and i think they'll enjoy the cute santas and reindeer, and ya gotta love those awesome jenni bowlin holiday mini bingo cards, right?!

♥

wishing all the love & light of the season

to everyone who is celebrating

hanukkah

i hope you had a wonderful first night!
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

i hardly ever mass-produce, unless it's an emergency

which it was: i suddenly realized at 8:30 last night that i didn't have cards for the two friends i will be seeing this afternoon. fortunately i had just seen this week's CPS sketch, which is a corker--i also loved kim moreno's card, on which i based mine:

and i knew immediately it was simple enough that i could easily knock a couple of those out using mostly scraps, but they'd still look rather fab. i was right on both counts. see?

(patterned paper: basic grey, prima, love elsie, dcwv, k&co + some vintage sheet music; glitter cardstock: dcwv & doodlebug; glossy white cardstock: ranger; kraft cardstock: hobby lobby; gem flourishes: prima; velvet letters: making memories; inks: colorbox; flourish stamp: rhonna farrer; adhesives: tombow monorunner, 3m foam tape, sewing machine)

i know what you're thinking. you're thinking, "hey lauren! there are THREE cards in that picture!" well, yeah. the reason being that *three* is the ideal amount of cardstock-weight paper i can hold together and cut out at the same time--pretty much ANYTHING you see that i've handcut has been part of a trio. the ones i don't use at the time get put in the "already cut" folder for quick card or collage making. in this case, since i am WAAAY behind on holiday cards generally, and since i was making two cards and had the extra bits already cut, it seemed quicker to just go ahead and stitch/assemble the third card, to go on the main pile. so i did.

this weekend my plans are to eat, sleep, and make christmas cards...with the first two being considered "optional extras". if you don't hear from me by monday morning, please send martha stewart and a 5-gallon vat of coffee!!! :)

*NOW* i feel christmassy!

there's a large, bare, unlit, undecorated pine tree

in my living room.

my presents aren't wrapped.

and i haven't got nearly enough cards made.

but the pink butterfly tree is up & decorated...

...so as far as i'm concerned, we're good to go!
~♥~

this isn't the worst card i've ever made...

...but i think it's probably pretty close.

(pattened paper: doodlebug, making memories, love elsie + vintage sheet music; cardstock: core'dinations; christmas tree dingbat font, used as a template scrap-n-fonts; diecut presents: dcwv; "merry" transparency: ki; word sticker: making memories; velvet trim: doodlebug; ink: colorbox; adhesives: tombow mono runner, 3m foam tape; other: mylar stars, sewing machine)

the thing is, i'm not really sure what's wrong with it. i love the cute little trees. i LOVE my nestibilities "labels 8". (lucy, you were SO RIGHT!) i love the machine stitching, and the papers, and that fun velvet trim. but somehow, the totality of the card is LESS than the sum of its parts.

does it say something horrible and passive-aggressive about me if i confess that i will probably send it anyway?? well, yes, very possibly...but hey...it's 16 days before xmas, and i've suddenly discovered i don't have NEARLY enough cards made. this is NO TIME to be overly fussy, people!!!

just out of curiosity:

what do *YOU* do with the cards you don't love, but can't afford not to use?

tree for two...

christmas tree, that is.

much like those pictured here.

exactly like those pictured here, actually, since this is where we got our tree on saturday.

(ours is in the 27th row...4th from the left. nice, innit?!)

we managed to get in and out...or rather, out and back in...before the snow fell, but it was still pretty nippy. here's one of our intrepid arctic explorers, attractively attired in her intrepid arctic explorin' coat. note the super-abundance of hood, perfect for keeping out winter weather, and also vision of any kind.

we always get our tree at the this lovely farm in central nj, which happens to belong to jeff's godfather. we are the only people i know who have to haggle strenuously *UPWARDS* to be allowed to pay something close to going rate for our holiday plumage.

(thanks, uncle john!)

here are our intrepid tree hunters, proudly displaying their long-sought trophy. note the jaunty angle at which our heroine holds the saw! (those of you who know her will be reassured to know this was the entire extent of our heroine's contact with the saw. had it been an axe, even this would've been deemed too dangerous.)

(our heroine is a figure of some repute amongst klutzes!)

finally, here is a small extra bonus prize which came with our tree!

(lovely intrepid explorer jeff removed it carefully and placed it in another tree, in case the owners return next spring.)

so what did YOU explore intrepidly this weekend??!

(tell, tell!)

WOW! that's a *really* pink card!!!

you may want to don protective eyewear before looking at this one. or you could poke a small hole in a piece of patterned paper and view it that way, like a solar eclipse. it's just that this card is a bit......ummmmm......bright. but you know MONSTAS--they have their own ideas with regard to graphic design, and once they get goin' you pretty much just have to leave 'em to it! (the pink ones are BY FAR the most headstrong, i've found.)

but as usual i've gone about this completely backwards. it'd help if i showed you the sketch i used first, wouldn't it?

don't you just *LOVE* this one? it's from a challenge site called friday sketchers; i had never been there before, but i'll definitely be going back! i saw it on linda's blog, she made this awesome & hilarious card with it! i finished too late to submit mine, but my main objective was to be one xmas card closer to finished, and in this i have succeeded!

(monsta cut from paperchase giftwrap; patterned paper: doodlebug, scrapbook wizard, sei, creative imaginations; glossy white cardstock: ranger; ink: colorbox; pen: zig; snowflake punches: paper source & marvy; other: dymo labels, sewing machine; adhesives: xyron, uhu gluestick, 3m foam tape)

a big shout out to my main man and primary scrappin' buddy LHJ who not only puts up with being called my primary scrappin' buddy a nightly basis, (well... he's kind of *right there* watching telly whilst i work...) in this case he also dymo-ed the text, punched the snowflakes, and performed the herculean & fiddly task of peeling the backs off the pre-xyroned snowflakes! (lesson learned: for tiny intricate shapes, punch first, xyron LATER!!!) if there's a nicer man alive, i certainly haven't met him--thanks, honey! ♥♥♥

at the sound of the tone, please record your message

(beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!)

i apologize for being a not-very-interesting blogger, but suddenly i've got christmas shopping fever, and have spent every moment of free time this week thinking up and acquiring gifts. so much so, that i am (shhhhhhhhhh!) ALMOST DONE!

because i am...

FA-(la-la-la)-WO-SUS!!!

(hope your holiday chores are going equally well...

or at least that you are having a wonderful week!)

~♥♥♥~

monday night sketch card!

i realize that when i express awe and delight over making an entire card on a monday evening it is puzzling and hilarious to the rest of the world. but the fact of the matter is, for me to even be sitting down by 8pm, with enough energy left to decide what i'd like to make, and start collecting the ingredients to make it, is a feat in itself. doing all that AND THEN FINISHING the card is a red-letter event for me. so i'm gonna celebrate! :)

of course it always helps to have a 2S4Y sketch, and a specific event in mind. in this case, i had laura's #40 and my brother's wedding anniversary. here's the sketch:

it's also considerably quicker if all your card ingredients are ready-made! (which sounds obvious, but remember my twin loves are collage and paper-piecing; there are a lot more steps involved when the "bits" have to be found and cut out before you can even start!) this time i had a pretty scalloped journaling card from leah, not to mention a mini bingo card & german scrap bird from jolene! once i had all that, it was plain sailing: i found a piece of sheet music with a lovey-dovey theme, i traced a chipboard heart and punched a scalloppy border to fit the sketch, and last but not least, i remembered i had this fun vintage sequin flower trim that would work really well. and here's the card:

(patterned paper: prima + vintage sheet music; journaling card: unknown; bingo card & bird: making memories; sequinned flowers from a trimming shop; ink: colorbox; border punch: fiskars; adhesives: tombow mono runner, 3m foam tape, sewing machine)

something completely serendipitous & quite amusing that i only noticed midway through making this baby: at the top left of the bingo card is the number 12...which just happens to be the anniversary bill and sandy are celebrating this year! cool, no?! ♥♥♥

here's what i did with the notebook paper collage

it's a card!

well, i say "card" because i used it as such--and wrote "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" on the back--but it's 12 x 12" and one-sided. also it's a bit weird...but then...the base is a collage of NOTEBOOK PAPER so this one was never gonna be hallmarky, was it? :)

i actually began the base collage at work one day, during lunch; i'd intended to use ONE sheet of notebook paper as a background for something, but each of the 6 or 7 different notebooks and binders i found contained a different type of paper, and they all had such interesting variations in color and line width that it made me want to use them ALL! anyway, my friend and colleauge joshua happened to see it while i was working on it and he was very enthusiastic. (he was talking about stealing the idea...a sure sign of approval from a fellow artist, right?!)

(once again i apologize for a truly CRAP photo...i assure you irl this thing is SQUARE and non-crooked; but it's also quite big, and to light it on a rainy day and get a good angle at the same time proved impossible with my limited skills & patience, so i just went with the best shot i got.)

to make it into a "card" i added one of our very favorite douglas adams' quotes (from "dirk gently's holistic detective agency"--josh and i are both MASSIVE fans) which i spelled out using some quite elderly vinyl alphabet stickers from staples. the smaller ones were so old, in fact, that they didn't stay STUCK ON, and i had to go back and staple them the next day! i liked the grungy industrial look of that, so i added MORE staples. i highlighted a few selected words by spelling them using some magnetic letters i found at a garage sale this summer. i intended to add something around the edges...either inking or maybe some stitching...but nothing i tested was quite right, so i let it sit for a few days and when i went back and saw it with fresh eyes i thought, "nope, that's DONE" and i was glad i had taken a little break to decide.

this is definitely one of my weirder ideas, but i have to say (with my usual modesty) that i really like it. more importantly, josh absolutely LOVED IT and was talking about buying a FRAME, so i was pretty pleased all-round!