Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Card Collectanea's Card-making Clues, Clue #2

Once you've made files for each of the colors and have sorted the solids and prints into their own manilla folders, what about what's left? You know, the papers that have multiple colors.

Probably you'll be surprised at how few there acutally are, especially in comparison to all of the others. I put them all in one manilla folder in its own hanging file. It will take a little time to sort through it, but so much less time than before without all the one-color pages. Put it at the end (after yellow) of the one-color files.

As a way subdivide it a bit, try putting anything Christmas into its own folder. If you do other holidays a lot, say Easter or Halloween, you might benefit from giving them their own place as well.

Now you're ready for the crowning moment. At your local department store, farm and gardern, plant place, or discount store, find a plant stand holder with casters on it. In our area, now is a great time to find them on clearance.

Using cable ties, string, or even strong twist ties, attach the plant holder to the botton of the crate. You'll instantly have a box that you can easily slide in and out from under a desk or table. When you don't need the papers, they're tucked away. When you need them, they're at your fingertips. Hope this helps.

Please come back soon, and don't forget to leave a comment to let me know what you think.


Monday, July 30, 2012

"Heavenly" Beach card

It's summertine, and to many people, a day at the beach is like a little taste of heaven. This is part 8 of my "Use My Cartridges" challenge. The featured one today is Everyday Paper Dolls. This cartidge has so many cute extras to go with the dolls. I couldn't resit the beach chair and the umbrella. Hope it brings summer to your thoughts.

"Heavenly" Beach Card

Who doesn't love a day at the beach? This "heavenly" card is my entry for the Freshly Mades Sketches #45 challenge and the Fabulous Fridays one-word title challenge from Frosted Designs. The card features a beach theme, using "water" paper and yellow to represent the sunshine. The video for how to make the card will come shortly. Hope it makes you think summer.

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Collectanea of Card-making clues--Group 1, Storage, Clue #1

Welcome to the first ever edition of Card Collectanea's card-making clues. These are snippets I've learned, either from others or from experience.

                                                      The first group of clues concerns storage.

Maybe you have a workplace whose picture could grace the cover of a women's magazine, complete with custom made desk, shelves, paper trays, etc. But if you're like me, you've taken over a room in your house and tried to do the  best you can. Here's an idea that may help.

# 1. File all those large pieces of "leftover" papers. A crate (plastic with holes) will accomodate several large hanging files. In each hanging file, place two manilla folders--one for solids, one for prints. Have a file for each color. Example: Blue--one file for blue solids, one for blue prints. Prints may include only blue and a neutral (white, off-white, black, etc). Place all the folders in your crate alphabetically--black, blue, brown, green, etc. This way you'll spend much less time searching for paper, and you'll have more time for crreating.

Hope this makes your life easier. Let me know what you think.


Friday, July 27, 2012

"Happily Ever After" Card

Installment #7 of my challenge to myself. Today's cartridge is Martha Stewart Elegant Cake Art. I'm not a cake decorator, but I really like the sentiments included on this cartridge--everything from "celebrate" to "happy birthday" to "happily ever after." The challenge with this cartridge is that I usually couple it with another one so that I can find the "picture" somewhere else. Today's card uses only Elegant Cake Art. I hope you like it. I think it's one of my favorites so far.

Are you feeling inspired to take on your own challenge? I hope so.  Let me know.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Pop-Up Gift Card Holder

Part 6 of my self-to-self challenge. Today I'm using Create a Critter and an idea from Mary at Cardz TV. This little wallet-type holder is clever, fast, and versatile.  Hope you enjoy it.


Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Two Sets of Gingerbread Boy Notecards

Due to technical difficulties--mine, not the camera's--these cards are assembled already. But they are still cute. If you're a gingerbread man afficianado (like the lady who asked for them), or even if you're not, I hope you enjoy these easy-to-make, versatile cards.

"It's a Girl" card

I liked the combination of Beyond Birthdays and New Arrival in the "It's a Boy" card so much that I decided to make another card, this time for a girl. This is a slide out card that is also a gift card holder. I'm beholden to a Youtube video for the idea--particulars given in my video. Hope you love this little girl as much as I do. Please leave comment.


Monday, July 23, 2012

"It's a Boy" Card

Part 3 (although the video says 4) of my "Use Your Cartidges" challenge to myself features Beyond Birthdays--and includes New Arrival. I love the baby on this card. Hope you enjoy it.  Next cartridge up is Paper Doll Dress Up.

Saturday, July 21, 2012

"Precious and Few Are Friends Like You" all-occasion card--video

The second (but not alphabetically second) video in my "make a card using each of my Cricut cartridges" challenge to myself. The cartridge is Stretch Your Imagination. Hope you enjoy it. Pull out your catridges and have fun.

Just me thinking of You, All-occasion card--Video

Here's the video for one of yesterday's cards, the first in my challenge to myself to create a card using each of my Cricut cartridges. Hope you enjoy it.

Friday, July 20, 2012

"Precious and few are friends like you" all-occasion card

Challenge #104 from Paper Players  http://thepaperplayers.blogspot.com/ is a Wordsmith challenge in which the sentiment is to be the main element. I combined that idea with my current personal challenge to myself to use each of my Cricut cartridges in a card. This installment, the second, uses Stretch Your Imagination, one that I've had for a long while but don't use often. The stamp is from Inkadinkado. The sunflower is 3 3/4" and uses the blackout, silhouette, and shadow features. Hope it inspires you to pull out those "seldom used" cartridges.

Just me, thinking of You, for Freshly Made Sketches

This is the first in my "Challenge Myself to Make a Card with Each of My Cricut Cartridges" challenge. Alphbetically first for me is "Accent Essentials." I used the eighth cut on the key pad and included three layers in each flower. The round flowers worked well for the current Freshly Made Sketches challenge.The white mat is embossed the Wild Dashes folder from Sizzix. The zig zig is cut from pink paper using Plantin Schoolbook. The sentiment, "Just me, thinking of You," is from TPC Studio. Hope you enjoy it. The tutorial video will be coming soon.


                                               

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Rocket Birthday Card

Back with another masculine birthday card video, this time using the Nifty Fifties cartridge. This rocket is so versatile--birthday, congrats, new job,etc, and could be used with "far out," "way out," "out of this world," "reach for the stars" sentiments. Change up the colors and make it feminine. It might become one of my favorite cuts. Hope you enjoy it.

Monday, July 16, 2012

Masculine birthday card

I'm back from vacation just in time to make a send and few masculine b'day cards (three birthdays this week). The first is a red, white, blue theme with a classic bike on it.  The stamps are from Studio 211, and the ink from Tsukineko. The stripe paper is from Paper Studio. I'm putting it in the Freshly Made Sketches contest. After I stamped the bicycle, I ran it and the red strip through a Cuttlebug herringbone embossing folder.

Friday, July 6, 2012

Sympathy Card, Stamped and Paper Pieced Tree

Another sympathy card. This was says only "sorry," so it could also be used for someone who is sick or hurt. The tree has a homey, nostalgic feel. Hope you find inspiration from it.

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Sympathy Card, Stamped and Paper Pieced

Here's the latest in my current mode--paper piecing. I used a tree stamp, stamping it twice, once on green paper and once on brown. Then I cut out the two sections from the appropriate colors and layered the trunk on top of the leafy crown. The tree swing does so much to give this a homey feel, and the muted colors are just right for condolences.Two pieces of grosgrain ribbon and two brown brads complete the embellishments. Hope it gives you ideas as to how to send special wishes to those who need them.

Monday, July 2, 2012

Be happy card

This card is for the PCW color challenge.  The bee is from Sizzix, a small die called (appropriately) "bee happy." The card is happy and sweet. Hope you like it.