Sunsets by the ocean

Hello fellow crafters!

When my husband and I are able to take a vacation, we love going somewhere warm by the ocean. Since we live in the mid-west, this is something that we don't get to do very often. So in between vacations, I recreate those memories through stamping.

Here are my current favorites.  I love doing the sponging technique to create the blue/green hues of the ocean, and the yellow and purple sky of a setting sun. Thanks to all of you that post your great creations as they definitely inspire my creativity. The thing that I like most is that every card turns out a little different.

The cards below were made for a couple of my friends that needed a little pick me up.  I also think these designs would be great for sympathy cards and for the guys in your life.  The version with the lighthouse was made for my brother's birthday.

Both cards were made with the Stampin' Up High Tide stamp set.  Here are few tips when making these cards:

• Before stamping or sponging, make sure your card stock is cut to the finished size.  When I made these cards I trimmed after and lost the really cool edging the sponging makes.
• For the masking, I found post-it notes that have a large sticky area.  This made masking so much easier. They are made by Post-it and called full adhesive notes.
• When stamping the lighthouse, be aware of the shadow that is created by layering the two stamps together.  Just make sure you place the light source on left.

I am still amazed how these turned out!  Both cards started out completely white,  Give this a try.  I hope you have as much fun as I do making these cards.

Happy crafting!

Hello fellow stampers!

Lately, I have been attracted to monochromatic designs but haven't tried them very often.  I was going through my card lists and realized that I had forgotten to make anniversary cards for my brother and sister-in-law.  I needed something fairly quick so monochromatic seemed like the right way to go,

I made this card using a script background stamp, Make a Medallion from Stampin' Up, and Celebrate Thinlits from Tim Holtz.  I think the design is great for a couple.

Here's a couple tips:
When I make cards, I also like to include a matching envelope.  The envelope is a standard invitation size bought at an office supply store.

I die cut two "happy birthdays" and I used Stick-it paper to adhere them together.  It strengthens the words and makes it easier to attach to the card.

I hope you give this card a try.  What are your favorite monochromatic designs?

Happy Crafting!

When is summer coming?

Hi fellow crafters,

If you're like me, summer just can't come fast enough. So I thought I would make some summer of my own.  Since I've been away from card making for awhile, I feel like I have lost my creativity.  So I checked out Pinterest and dusted off some old idea books and started experimenting.

I am absolutely obsessed with my new Big Shot.  I love die cutting!  Here's a new card I made for an upcoming birthday and I love, love the edging.  I used a Spellbinders set called Bracket Borders One.  It doesn't show up very well, but the center of the yellow flower has glitter in the center.  I think it adds a nice touch.

I also found inspiration in the latest Stampin' Up Salebration catalog and made this sweet, springy birthday card for my niece.  I just love using metal embellishments.

Well I hope this brings a little Summer to your life. Happy crafting!

New Craft Room Layout

I first want to thank all of you that have shared your craft room ideas on Pinterest and YouTube. Your ideas have been truly inspirational and helpful.

After looking at many layouts and designs, I have finally decided on a layout that I think will work the best for my new craft room.  I am converting an extra bedroom and do have some challenges.  The room is not very big so I need to be creative with storage ideas and work spaces.

Here is my new design using graph paper:

To help save money, most of the work spaces will be handmade.  The craft table/island will be my most favorite piece in the whole room.  I will be using cube shelf units as the legs and the table top will be made from solid oak.  The cube shelves will give me extra storage and the durable top will give me plenty of space to work.  And the best thing of all - the table will be on casters.  I will be able to move the table around to get the most out of this small space.

I will be posting the video on how I will make the island in the next couple of months. There is still work to be done on the room - paint walls and trim, pull up carpet, etc.  I am hoping to move my craft supplies into the room in the next 6 - 8 weeks. I can't wait!

Please share your craft room ideas and any helpful hints.

Happy crafting!

Make some one's day - send a card.

My New Year's resolution - well at least one of them, is to send my handmade cards to friends and family more often.  The cards I make bring me a lot of joy and I think my loved ones would feel the same way about receiving one.

Here are some of my favorites.  The first one is my go-to thank you card made with Stampin' Up's Lovely as a Tree stamp set.  The copper cord and vellum add a nice touch to the card - gives a rich vibe but is really easy to create. Not shown is the envelope which also has been stamped.  I think it adds a nice touch.

My favorite Thinking of You cards is made with a butterfly stamp which stamped on the card and also used to make a little charm embellishment.  I think it gives the card that something extra that friends appreciate.

Another use for the Lovely as a Tree stamp set is for a sympathy card.  The trees are so peaceful and the vellum overlay softens the message even more.  The card shows one of my favorite ways to add ribbon to card with vellum.  It really gives it a polished look.

And last but not least, below is the Valentine's Day card I gave to my husband.  I just love the little chocolate kisses.  This is also a great color combination.

I hope you enjoy these favorites as much I do.

Happy Crafting!

New Craft Space

Hello Everyone,

I know it’s been awhile since my last post on marketing techniques that inspire me.  I have been working towards my MBA over the last couple years and am happy to say, I am almost done.

I will finish and graduate - with honors on June 2, 2017.  The that I receive from the marketing committee has always been something that I have cherished.  And now that inspiration is taking me on another journey.

During my time away from my marketing blog, I truly missed the creative outlet this afforded me and feel I need to explore other options for creativity.  My passion for paper crafts has exploded.  I have always enjoyed making cards and scrapbooks and now that I have little more time on my hands, I’m going to take all the marketing knowledge I have and start selling my creations.

Before I jump into this too fast, I need a work space.  I have spent the last few months researching and designing a new craft space and think I have the perfect one!  This is my journey of getting the space I have always dreamed of. Here's my inspiration:

Planning

Planning is the most important step.  Since this could add up to be a sizeable investment (that means over $1,000 to me), having a space that allows to easily do what I want is very important. Here are some steps to consider:

1. Measure the space you will be using.  Measure all of it including doorways and wall height.  If you are like me, I want to use every inch of space that I have.          
2. Make of two lists – must haves and nice to haves.  This way you know what could be given up if needed.                                                                            
3. Get some graph paper or use a computer program and start mapping out your space starting with the must haves.  I recommend drafting a few different layouts.  Spend the time doing this because once you start on a particular layout, it will be very hard and costly to redesign and start over.                                                                            
4. Once you decide on a layout, look at images of other craft rooms using Google and Pinterest to get ideas and inspiration.  Start collecting storage ideas that fits your space and needs – like to save pictures so I know what it should like.                            
5. You are now ready – start with your nice to haves list and either build or buy or both.  Don’t get inpatient – getting what you want sometimes takes time. 

I’ll keep you posted on my progress.  I will share will you my final room layout when I finally decide on which one works for me.

Happy Crafting!