How do you do it?  Do you just copy something that you found on Pinterest?  Do you drag out all your stuff and stare at it until your are inspired?  Do you just sit down and make a card?

Well, the method of my madness usually goes something like this…

• Trolling Pintrest…  “Oh, I like that”
• “Hey I could make that… but I don’t have that…”
• go to craft room and pull out sets
• get overwhelemed
• go to computer and create a sketch
• work a little magic with Photoshop and Publisher to create a digital card
• take new sketch and create cards.

This is the method that I use when I have time and/or I have a lot of cards to make.  This is basically what I did for that card swap I did in December.  This is what I do for most cards I make.  But, what does that look like?

Pretty much.. it looks like this.  Here is the card that I saw on Pinterest.  I copied it into Publisher.  I used some shapes and created a sketch of it.  Printed it off.  Made some notes… created the card.

What does it look like when I use Photoshop to help me create?

The first two are the card sketches that I created using Photoshop and Publisher.  The last two are the actual card I created.  You can see that I didn’t have the right dimensions on the wording, so I had to adjust.  This is because I usually don’t have my stamp sets and dies with me while I am creating the sketches.

So, with all that being said… I was designing a card this morning and did a card sketch when it hit me… I can do sketches and put those out for y’all.  What do you think about that.  It would be great to see what you gals/guys could do with these sketches…

Here is the first one…

So, let me know what you create with this sketch by leaving it int he comments or on our Facebook page 🙂

Here is the direction I am headed based on a card by Kylie Bertucci.

This is going to be the make-n-take my Open House Event this weekend!

Until next time… Keep it simple, Stampers!

🙂  Joanne

Well, look at that!  Life handed you some lemons.

What are you going to do with them?

Of course, you are going to make lemonade!

Sometimes, bad things happen and there is no reason for it.  I believe that God puts things in our way because we need to trust Him to find our way out.

So, when bad things happen to people you know, what is your go to move?  Do you call? Do you text?  Do you post on their Facebook timeline?

All of those are perfectly acceptable forms of communication.  And, I have been known to do them all.  But, like yesterday’s post eluded to, I am terrible at sending cards.  But, it’s times like these that call out for a card… In fact, these times are just standing there screaming at you to send a card!  And, what stops you?

I know what stops me…  what do I write inside?

Well, Stampin’ Up has a solution…

This stamp set is called “Here for You” and is available in the 2016-2017 Annual Catalog in both wood-mount (141541) and clear-mount (142164).  It’s perfect when you want to say something, but just don’t have the right words…

Of course, this set plus the Foxy Builder punch equals so much fun!  Here’s what I did with it.

When they introduced the foxy punch and stamp set at OnStage in April 2016, they showed us an array of animals they had created with it.  Once I looked through the catalog and saw “that stinks…”, I fell in love and needed both the foxy bundle and the stamp set above.  The two just marry together so perfectly!

And, just because I am in a very giving mood… I decided to throw in a tutorial for this card.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

proj-sheet-this-stinks

Until next time… keep it simple, stampers!

🙂 Joanne

Seriously, I am!

I am a card maker who rarely sends cards!

How terrible is that?  I really need to change that!

I love to make cards.  I love to teach people to make cards.  I encourage people to send cards.  I used to work a card store…  Yet, I am a failure at sending cards.  There really needs to be a support group for people like me!

Tomorrow is my best friend’s birthday.  Is it weird for a grown woman to still refer to someone as the BFF?  Well, I really don’t care.  I have many friends.  I’m not bragging… “Many friends” nowadays is very different than “many friends” when I was much younger!  But, there is that one person who will travel across oceans to see me and I would travel to the ends of the earth to see her.  We get together a couple times a year.  I have had her almost as long as my oldest son.  Of course, I live a small town where everyone is related to everyone else, so knowing someone for 20 years doesn’t seem like much of an accomplishment.  But, I was a military brat who became a Marine wife.  We moved every 3 years.  In fact, I moved 38 times in 32 years.  So, keeping a friend for 20 years is a great achievement.  We have been friends since the day we meet.  And, you know what… I never send her a card!

This year, I thought, was going to be different.  I would send her a card.  Well, guess what.  Tomorrow is her birthday and I have no card to send her.  I can’t just send her any card. It needs to be special.  So, since I haven’t had the time… no card.

Am I a terrible friend?  Would you un-friend me?

What’s worse is that Stampin’ Up makes it so easy to whip out great birthday cards in no time.  Here is one that used the Birthday Banners stamp set (141506) and the coordinating Bunch of Banners Framelits (141488).

Whoops.. look at that… there is ink smeared on it.  Just the perfect touch for a homemade card, don’t you agree!

Here is the inside!

So tell me, should I just break down and send her this card?  Maybe go through my stash of old cards that I have made and send her something not designed just for her…  Or send a belated card?  Or maybe, just chalk it up to a loss this year and try for next year!?!

Do you send cards?

Am I just the worst?

Is there a card-sending help group?

Until next time… keep it simple, stampers!

🙂  Joanne

I’m not sure about you, but when I think of dragonflies, I think bugs.. which are very masculine.  I mean do you truly not picture some barefoot little boy in overalls and a stripped shirt stunning through the tall grass at the edge of a pond on a summer day chasing darting creatures when someone mentions “dragonfly.”  Really… dragons and flies!  What is girly about that?

Yet, the great bulk of the cards that I have seen thus far are very, very feminine.  Now, don’t get med wrong… they are very beautiful.  I think this stamp set and coordinating thinlits are very versatile.  Don’t you agree?

So, when I needed a card to wish a young man from another country a good life, I turned to the dragonfly.  Of course, I did try my best to google if dragonfly is an appropriate symbol in his country and did not see anything to the contrary.

The card below made it’s first public appearance a few days ago… but I was asked for more detail about it… so here it is.

I used three different stamp sets for this card:  Dragonfly Dreams, Swan Lake (for the sentiment) and Butterfly Basics.

I used Basic Gray and Dapper Denim paper with a scrap of White.  I also cut the dragonflies out of Silver Foil.

I layered a solid gray dragonfly behind the fancy filigree one.   To add even more interest, I applied Wink of Stella to the gray before I attached the silver piece over it.  Here’s a close up!

For the brick background, I stamped in black using some straight inking and some stampin’ off … then I ran it through the Big Shot.

For the small silver dragonfly on the inside, I used the scrap from the larger silver dragonfly and just positioned one whole baby dragonfly on the paper.

Here is the list of items I used…

Product List

You may have noticed that the punch in the list is not the punch that I used.  Since this was just for personal purposes, I did use a retired punch.  I think the classic label punch is a great alternative if you do not have the one that I used.

So, if you ever see a card on my blog and want more details about it, please don’t hesitate to ask.  I am more than happy to share my secrets!

Until next time, keep it simple, Stampers!!!

🙂 Joanne

What do you see when you look at this set?

When I see this set… I think retro bowling alley.

But really, it’s one of the most underrated sets in the book.  Many people look at it as a “one-trick pony.”  But really… the text can stand alone without the need for the graphics… or at least not the marquee.

Here is an example of that…

(Pardon the frayed cuts…  it was an old blade)

Not a marquee in sight on this card.  Nor on this one…

This was a card that I made for my son when he graduated from Boot Camp – Also known as Navy Recruit Training.

But, of course… the Marquee helps make a card too!

This card is one that I designed for a Worship Team Dinner for the church musicians.  I was tasked, but a guy, to come up wioth something crafty.  After I created it, I showed the pastor.  He said he’d be happy with just a scribble on the back of a piece of paper.  Geesh… what do these guys know?!?  It’s a good thing they have me to bring crafty into their lives.

Side note…  whenever the pastor needs to me to send out and email or put an announcement in the bulletin… he tells me what he needs then tells me…  “put it in Joanne-ese!”  He means for me to add the fluff that makes it readable by people.  If you haven’t noticed by now, I am pretty good an making things very conversational.  That did not help me with my college papers.. but on a blog or an email… I am good!

Oh sorry.. I got side tracked… here is that card!

I am sure at least half of the 16 couples I sent this too will appreciate it.  Don’t you?

So, what have made with this card?

Until next time… keep it simple, Stampers!

🙂  Joanne

Yes, folks… it’s finally here.  This is the last of the cards I designed for a recent swap.  Don’t be sad… I can make other cards!  And I will.

So, before I introduce you to the last card, let’s recap…

I made 13 cards for a recent swap. You may be asking yourself what is a SWAP?  A “swap” is a very simple thing.  You swap (trade) things with other people. They are done in many different ways.  This was a swap through the mail.  Swaps can also be done in person.  You find out how many people will be participating.  Each participant makes a card for all the other participants.  In this case, you also make one for the person hosting the swap, because they are not participating.  This swap was also a full card swap.  Sometimes, swaps are just card fronts.  People do that so they can get more cards out of a piece of cardstock.  Some people do a  full card but do not do anything on the inside.  They leave that for you to do.  Which is sometimes great and sometimes not-so-great!  So, my full card swaps always include at least graphics inside.

Here are all the cards again…

I have included the directions for each one within those blog posts.  I will create a page that has them all one day soon, but until then, just go back through.  I know, I am out to make your life difficult.  Just kidding, but I am still getting used to this whole blogging thing!

So, I think that the last card is one of my favorites.  It is clean and simple.  It’s all about making the stamp set stand out and shine.  No fancy embellishments.  Of course it was hard not to add a little Wink of Stella… but I restrained!

proj-sheet-a-simple-thought

And there you have it folks…  13 cards using stamps sets from the new 2017 Occasions Catalog and the new 2017 Sale-a-Bration flyer!

Let me see what you have been busy making with the new items!

Until next time, keep it simple, Stampers!

🙂  Joanne