Layered Fall Colors

Here is another card from stamp camp for your viewing pleasure! 

This is sooo cool.... cool fall colors, cool layers, cool stamping! 

Just like one of the other cards made at stamp camp.... you could use this same technique over and over for any reason or season... just change colors (red/green/white and candy canes.... pink/blue and pacifier....red/pink/white and hearts)

Although I'm feeling immensely creative, I have lost more than 30 hours a week... because I got a real job outside the home.  Part of me is really sad, because my mind and body crave being artistic... my job is not so creative... and now I'm tired at the end of the day so it's hard to just sit and create.

What's a girl to do?

Love this Day

 How big do you think this is????

Last week it was Funky Flowers, this week it's powerful words!!!

It's 11" x 14".

This is next project for the on-line art class I'm taking over at Brave Girls.  The letters are printed out from the computer, then I pinned them on to some fabric that I had laying around, cut them out (that is called fussy cutting), next they got mod podged on the  canvas board, and then I painted over the Love and Day....  the close up below is just the fabric only of 'this'... so you can see the texture. It's all about textures for this class!!! There is other painting and inking going on for the background and edges.... with these  type of 'paintings' it's hard to know exactly when I'm done.

One of the many neat things about 'learning' more with mixed media, is that everything can be a creative experiment, a work in progress.... hmmmm, I'm not sure I really like that... with card making... I get the instant satisfaction of completing a card in 10-15 minutes.  Painting and collaging and mixed media... I could be putzing on each work of art for days. But, I could make this design into a creative greeting!! stay tuned.

However, the main reason I'm taking this class is.... to stretch my creative muscle. And I must admit... I really

LOVE

this

Day!

Two-fer

What's even better than just getting an awesome creative greeting in the mail?  Getting a card and a special gift too!!!

I went to a mini stamp camp last week, where I learn something new every time!  Here is super cute card that holds a tea bag! 

 It could hold ... a gift card,  hot chococolate, tiny flat candy bar or a instant soup packet..... it could be anything to 'warm' somebodies day.  I'd be careful about mailing the 'bigger'  individual packets (or the chocolate)... but a small tea bag like this..... I think it could be sent FIRST CLASS. 

Any of the other things can be added to the card if you were hand delivering this on top of a pretty gift!  So many choices to make!

Another great thing about going to a class, now I tons of ideas and I could make any variety of cards with this same theme, just change the patterned paper (and or sentiment) out for he season.  Couldn't you see this as hostess gifts, or a card sending get well wishes, or even a specialChristmas treat.... (yikes, who said Christmas??)

Anyway... I love to learn!  I love to go to stamp classes to learn about making cards.  I love to make cards with new tips and techniques.  Then, I can

Brighten Someone's Day

with even more unique and whimsical creative greetings!!!

It's Never Easy

A friend recently had to put their fur baby down due to a bone illness.  It's never easy, a pet is one of the family too!

I still just love, love ♥ the fact that I can go into my creative space and figure out how to design a personalized card.  Be it a happy occassion, or sad, a joyous milestone or just a simple 'hello'.  My mantra continues to be...

Brighten Someone's Day

and I am so happy that I can do it with a creative greeting!!

You should too!

Cute as Button

Just like an inked thumb print, every little button has it's own story!

This is an actual tag that can be pulled off the card and used separately, or the message can be put on the back and then tucked back into the card front!

A few weeks ago I showed you a little character card made with a simple thumb print.

Then of course on Pinterest I found a sample like I created above... Change the ink out, add a few doodles and anything can be created from inky fingers.... from wild animals to people, from simple hearts to an entire picture of fall leaf thumb prints.  Amazing!

I love cardmaking designs with buttons! 

 I would do more because I have a tin full of (mostly used... old) buttons.  The thing that stops me from creating more with this 'do-dad', is sending them through the mail. 

Buttons are bulky.

You know me, I follow the rules.... you are supposed to add additional postage and somewhere put on the envelope, hand sort (or something like that).  I heard that postal workers don't always like crafters because we send things that can get caught up in their sorting machines. 

I understand that! I don't want one of my friends to receive a ripped envelope... it mars the beauty!

I think the one button on this card is okay.  It's a cute little birdie with a wing and then a few doodles for beak and feet!  How much of a problem could he be???

I'm continuing to work through some of my copying issues and according to Steal Like an Artist... I'm copying because I'm going to fake it until I MAKE it!

Bloom & Shine

Real simple card today!  With love!

A few little doodled blossoms and a cute ♥ tag with some floss... and voila` a great creative greeting!!

But I do not hang my head in shame, I got the idea from Pinterest, a place that inspires my imagination and the credit goes to a blog: This & That and everything in between!

Lots of things inspire my imagination.  I have a ton of notebooks, and sketchbooks, and 3" x 5" index cards, computer scanned images, magazines, favorite blogs, creative opportunities ( in other words, big mistakes) all with greeting card ideas!  More ideas than I have time for.  And all that fun stuff surrounds me in my office.

"It is better to take what does not belong to you than to let it lie around neglected." Mark Twain

I'm just trying to follow some advice that really SHINES!

Go ahead,

Brighten Someone's Day!

Nine Lives

I'm free!

I just purchased a new book Steal Like An Artist by Austin Kleon . . . and he says it's okay for me to 'steal' some of my ideas for card making.

Remember? I often say that I CASe projects.... a term used in the what I'm familiar with in the paper crafting world, C-copy A-and S-steal E-everything!!! (or the S could mean SHARE)

Creative work builds off of something, so nothing is EXACTLY original.  Whew.... I said it and now I feel better!

I recently got an order for some birthday cards, so instantly that gives me a spark to create more for my stash.  It gives me a purpose to focus on one genre.... now, to figure out some fun and whimsical birthday greetings.  Above is one!

The smart kitty cat is a doodle from Penny Black designs. I found a 'similar' layout while blogging.  What I eventually ended up with was built with the papers in my stash and then I played with the tilt of the image,  then I punched out swirls and popped up flowers with sparkly centers. I changed the balloon colors a bit to match the paper colors. I added a sentiment after the picture was taken.... Happy Birthday!

I think there is more to my fun new project of  'stealing'.  Well, mainly, not feeling so guilty when I build something creative off of existing wonder!

There is nothing new under the sun. Ecclesiastes 1:9