Box o Cards

OK Blogger about drove me to dive head first into a vat of hot fudge but it appears to be cooperating now. Hot fudge is still an option though.

Here's something I did for a craft fair. Started off thinking I would make packages of notecards (4.5x5.5). then decided to use the scraps on tags, then decided hmmm maybe I'll make a coordinated set. I do things backwards so I'll show the evolution of this backwards too. And the last shall be first:

I love my Mom who gives me craft supplies as presents

I painted the whole thing in taupey/tan acrylic paint and then Mod Podged some scrapbook paper (Paper Pazazz) onto it, finishing it with K&Co scrapbook borders. Sealed the whole thing w/ more MP and then added a vinyl accent piece (one of my $.25 scores from JoAnn's). Finished the box with crumpled paper flowers, a button, and a rhinestone:

Here's what will go inside:

Papers: M&My Big Ideas and K&Co; self adhesive borders K&Co

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I've Lost My Head(er)

and replaced it with one custom designed for me by Rita of Rita's Sweet Shop!

How did this happen you ask? I was lucky to win a giveaway sponsored by Rita over at Meg's blog : A Little Knick Knack.

Rita does custom blog, logo, button design and is a joy to work with! She was responsive, creative, and gets a feel for what you like. I am so excited for my new header because while I liked my old one, it's always special to have something designed just for you isn't it? And...she made me a new button too!

So thank you so much Meg for hosting such a fun giveaway ( Meg has a weekly link party on Fridays called "Everything But The Kitchen Sink" ) and Rita for my new header and button!

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Don't Shoot The Messenger

These things keep appearing in my blog reader and you know the deal. I suffer; you suffer. I mean how am I supposed to look at these and not share them?

Peanut Batty and Chocolate Cupcakes

You can over to Inside Bru Crew Life and give Jocelyn a piece of your mind for this temptation! No cupcakes left though. I got there first :) Oh yeah...there's a Reeses peanut butter cup in the bottom of each!

So I recovered from that only to find these today:

Peanut Butter Surprise Cupcakes w/Nutella Buttercream

from Sourkraut at Langes Fädchen, Faules Mädchen

It's a conspiracy I tell you. They're trying to drive me to the brink with all of this chocolatey peanut buttery goodness and I am NOT going alone!

I Think I'm Addicted

to K&Co. I didn't realize until I started blogging and writing down materials for projects that I used so many of their papers, scrapbook borders, diecuts. I did start noticing that I was noticing them more in the stores. But I picked up some papers the other day just because I liked them and they were perfect for some Fall projects and whaddya know...yup...K&Co. Didn't realize it until I flipped one piece over to trace on the back side!

I was tracing this frame and there on the back was the K&Co! So now on to my projects with this K&Co paper! No, they're not paying me to say their name. I mean they could and if they're listening, call me! I traced the frame shape and then cut out. Actually I traced it, then went and painted the frame back and sides and while it was drying I cut out the paper. I hate waiting for paint to dry but I guess it has to. Then I Mod Podged the paper to the frame. More drying time! What to do?

What I didn't do was take pictures of what I did which was to paint one of those 10x10 Ikea "Malm" mirrors. Checked some blogs out while that was drying. Mod Podged that. OK everything's dry now yay!

Sanded around the outer an inner edges of the frame; added some letters I bought for $1 at JoAnn's; added a leaf charm and a paper flower from the scraps. Covered the cardboard that came w/ the frame w/another scrap and glued a metal leaf to the middle and:

Here's the Ikea Mirror I didn't take pictures of along the way but it's the same technique I used before here

Someday I'll take a straight picture. Maybe.

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Easiest Card Ever...Thank You Graphics Fairy

Seriously, it took me longer to write this post than to make the card. Also seriously, with resources like The Graphics Fairy, my stamps are feeling seriously neglected. Seriously! I'm still having fun w/ my bag o diecuts but I printed this out earlier to maximize the use of my Avery clear label paper ( when I print stuff, I try to fill up as much space as possible). 

Print image from The Graphics Fairy here. I printed mine on clear label paper and adhered to a cream cardstock scrap or you could print directly on paper. Mounted on black and cream scrap, another cream scrap, and Halloween paper scrap. Adhere to card w/ coordinating Halloween paper panel. I usually cut my own cards (5x7) so always have the ends left over. Cut one to fit the width of the patterned paper, tore the edges..it's what I do...added a black border sticker. Done.

Thank you Karen, The Amazing Graphics Fairy!

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How I Spent World Card Making Day

Well not the whole day. I did venture out to Goodwill, and ended up at the Dollar Tree for some of those glitter skulls I've seen around blogland:

which I put on top of some candle holders I made earlier and put on my mantel with on of my skully plates. Then I went through my Halloween stuff and got rid of some things and did some decorating. Here's something I did BB ( before blogging):

It's just acrylic paint on outdoor canvas (the kind you use for seat cushions, pillows etc.). I drew the ghosts and bats freehand several years ago. But then I did make some Halloween cards. It was card making day after all. I also realized I'm addicted to the K&Co line. I hadn't really thought about it until I started blogging and realized how much of their stuff I use. I bought this package of diecuts  in August:

174 Pieces!!! And the photo looks like it's uploading right, but then flips. Oh well

Generally I'm not a whimsical person, but these were fun and although I'm getting more "serious" in my Halloween decor, Halloween's a time for fun and whimsy so I went with that for some Halloween cards. I actually kept these pretty simple because they will be mailed and the post office and I disagree on embellishments!

Can't see it in the pic but these diecuts have glitter already on them! Added an orange rhinestone nose

I've since added black rhinestones to the owl's eyes

The spider is a leftover from some stuff I'd printed on Avery clear label paper

I decorated this pumpkin die with separate eyeball diecuts from the pack

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Tomorrow's World Card Making Day and Some Cards & Tags

Fun Facts ( courtesy of the World Cardmaking Day website...yes, there's a website for that)

• Today, card making is a worldwide hobby, especially popular in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
• 1 in 6 U.S. households participates in making cards
• 86% of scrapbookers also create handmade cards
• 92% of paper crafters create cards more than any other type of project
• The top occasions/themes for making cards are
  
  
  
  
  
  
  • Birthdays
  • winter holidays (Christmas, New Year’s, etc.)
  • thank you
  • Valentine’s Day
  • Mother’s Day
• Card makers prefer stamps and rub-ons for use on their holiday handmade cards
• 73% of card makers use their computer in part or all of their design

I've always done creative stuff but my first foray into the formal craft world was cards. It started when I went to a store with a friend who was trying to explain embossing powder to me. I later went back and proceeded to mistakenly buy glitter (powdery stuff in small bottles...who knew) and felt like a complete idiot when I went back again to complain it didn't work and the lovely woman who'd obviously experienced this before,politely explained my mistake. Nevermind.

Fast forward to today where I have a dresser drawer full of stamps, have migrated to buying clear cling stamps that go on acrylic blocks ( easier storage and some argue better for the environment), have expanded my crafts repertoire well beyond cards but use stamps in a lot of things, have a collection of paper that's probably a fire hazard, plus the increased array of scrapbooking embellishments and now a Cricut Expression well...you get the idea. But cards are still a true love and from October through December especially, I am in high card mode!

So if you've never made a card, World Card Making Day is a great time to start. Most likely your local stamp or scrapbooking store will have something going or look out for "Make and Takes" and Stampin Up demonstrators are always willing to teach you! Or you could look here: http://www.worldcardmakingday.com/celebrate/participating_retailers.html

Here are some cards and  tags I've made as part of the inventory for my first craft fair: (ironically, no stamps)

K&Co "Life's Journey" Collection

I can still bust some stash and found some tag shaped cards I'd picked up on clearance somewhere for $1 for a package of 2. I cut them at the fold to make two tags from one card, cut selected pieces from the above sheet of paper, got out my stash of self ahesive scrapbook borders (also K&Co) and my bin o scraps and went to town!

I had some chairs I'd cut out using my Cricut and a chair image from The Graphics Fairy  I printed out on a transparency , so I made these cards:

Go forth and make cards!

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