Monday, November 19, 2012

More Cards

 I've been busy making cards lately - I'm hoping to send these to Operation Write Home in time for Valentine's Day. This first card uses the newest sketch, #147. In the photo the border of the heart looks darker than it does in real life, but not by much. I wonder if I should stamp it again, using a brown that's not quite so dark. Heart stamp is by Posh Impressions, sentiment by Darcies. Patterned paper is ancient Hot Off the Press.
 This card features a kitty from Eat Cake Graphics. Sentiment is Hero Arts. The lavender paper is HOTP (same booklet as the previous card) and Close to My Heart made the pink lattice patterned paper. I punched out the heart and coated it with Glossy Accents by Ranger. Kitty was colored with watercolor pencils and a Dove blender pen.
The stamps here are also Eat Cake Graphics (girl with kitty, window) and the sentiment is by Hero Arts. Red patterned paper is from Keeping Memories Alive (also well aged in the stash). The coloring was done with BIC markers.

I'm enjoying all these cards but I do have knitting projects I need to work on. I cut my finger on Friday while making dinner, so it might be rather awkward (tip of the left pinky) but I should give it a try. These gifts are not going to knit themselves, and the elves are apparently busy elsewhere.

No Frills Ribbon Storage

Yesterday I dragged out the oversized shoe box I've been using to store bits and pieces of ribbon in, and decided to straighten out the mess. Everything was just mooshed in there, except for the two rolls of ribbon you see in the background, above. That is the only ribbon I've purchased for card making. Ever. In over 13 years of stamping/cardmaking.

All the pieces you see wrapped around the cardboard salvaged from my "to-be-recycled" box were either given to me or saved from various gift wrappings, clothing tags and so on. The gorgeous blue ribbon right in the middle came from my niece's wedding favors (ahem...I may have snapped up a few ribbons discarded by some of the other guests. What can I say, it's my favorite color!).

Now that I can actually see what I have, I have started to use my ribbon, yay me. Maybe if I use up enough of it I will actually consider buying some... Ooooooh.....

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Not Quite a Valentine

Here is another card made from my stash of patterned papers. These are all fairly ancient designs from Close to My Heart. The heart frame and sentiment stamps are by Darcies. This is going into my box for Operation Write Home. Since it doesn't actually say valentine on it anywhere, this card could be used anytime! I "fussy cut" (Sandy Allnock term) around the heart, glued it to red paper and fussy cut again.

I have a bunch of other cards to show you but I want to wait just a bit more because the recipients haven't gotten them yet. I am determined to use up as much paper stash as I can before next summer, because I really, really want to get some new paper. I've been working my way through three huge accordian folders crammed full of this CTMH paper (a gift from my fabulous friend Caroline) for years and am now down to one accordian folder full.

I can do this! (I hope...)

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Cards

When I showed you the socks I recently finished for our friend, I forgot to share the birthday card I made for him. No stamping at all on this. I found the houndstooth pattern on the internet (free download) as well as the Alabama As. The black letters are stickers I have had since Truman was in office. Well, okay, maybe not quite that long - but a long, long time. The crimson cardstock has a really lovely sheen to it, maybe if you click on the picture to enlarge it you'll be able to see it. I was inspired by one of the sketches at OWH (Operation Write Home) but I'm afraid I can't tell you exactly which sketch! They have over 150 great sketches to choose from.

I've made a number of cards lately for family and friends, and I will be sharing them soon. I still need to mail some of them. One of the things that pleases me about them is that I am slowly making a dent in my well-aged stash of patterned papers. I would really love to buy new paper next summer when we visit the States, but I am bound and determined to use up as much as I can of what I have now first!

I have an idea for Christmas cards to send out to my friends; I just need to make up a sample and see if it looks the way I hope it will. I want it to look nice but not be so time-consuming that I'll only manage to make 3 before I run out of time to mail them.

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Bear or Mouse?

This little gal was made from the Bear with Cardigan (Ravelry link) pattern by Barbara Prime (aka Fuzzy Mitten). Although I followed the pattern, my bear's ears came out larger than the photo in the pattern shows (I hate it when that happens, don't you?). That and the fact that I decided to use pink yarn makes this critter look more mouse-ish than bear-ish to me.

She was an unfortunately belated birthday gift for a two year old girl who loves pink. Liat gave it to her when she went to babysit a few days ago, and reported back that Kylee loves her and calls her "Baby."

Sounds good to me.

Monday, November 12, 2012

Finishing

 One of the more exciting moments around our house in recent days was the removal of Meital's braces! I am beyond thrilled with the way her teeth look, and it's so lovely to actually see them again. I'm probably more excited about it than she is, but it just amazes me how more more grown up she looks now that that symbol of childhood is gone.
The other thing that we are finished with around here is another pair of men's size 18 socks. I had it on good authority that the first pair were way too big, so I decreased the number of stitches I cast on and am hoping for the best. The recipient would never tell me if these don't fit right, so I am going to employ a spy to find out the truth. Knit in Opal yarn.

Saturday, November 10, 2012

In Balance

Over the last several weeks I have been working a lot in my art journal (the composition book given to me by my lovely friend Caroline several years ago). Sometimes I just stipple or sponge ink onto the page before stamping, gluing, doodling, and writing. Other times I glue in pieces of other papers like magazines, gift wrap, etc. and use spray inks. Sometimes I glue two pages together and then put gesso over the page, to make it a bit stronger before I add acrylic paints to make a background. Sometimes I make collages with pictures cut from magazines and my own scribbles.

The book is filling up nicely, getting a bit puffy as you might expect with all the added stuff going into it. I am trying to use many of the supplies that I've been hoarding for years, because really what's the point of having those things if I don't use them? I wonder if it says something about my selfishness that I find it easier to use those hoarded items in the journal rather than on cards, because the journal stays here with me.

I've also been thinking abou the way I go on these jags (remember when your kid would only eat one particular food for awhile, then would switch to something else?). In this case, my jags run from spending most of my time knitting, or making cards, to reading or doing art journaling. I realized that the vast majority of the time, I knit and make cards in order to give those things to other people. I love doing it, it makes me very happy. But sometimes all I want to do is read. That is something that is purely for me. Same with the journaling. I do it to please/amuse myself and no one else.

I guess that makes for a good balance.