But what happened is more serendipitous. George and I were out on a date night (oh total joy!) and stopped by a bookstore (because we're geeks that way), which had already placed them on the newsstand. Since the website says they don't go on sale until the 7th, this seemed a bit weird, but hey, I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth.
The issue is awesomely useful as far as design goes, although I suspect someone totally new to the subject might be overwhelmed or confused by the sound-bite sized tips. Still, I'm loving it and will have lots to say about it in the coming weeks as I process. Oh, and Kelly Eubanks is a CAS genius. Just sayin'.
I also got my September/October issue of Papercrafts in the mail Saturday. Weird to think about Halloween already. Sad to say, but there won't be a lot of Halloween on Simplicity. I'm a Halloween Scrooge who deeply resents Halloween's explosive popularity and how it eclipses Thanksgiving, which is a much more meaningful autumn holiday that also just happens to coincide (and sometimes, like this year, falls right on) my birthday.
And no, I don't object to Halloween on religious grounds. Dressing up like ghosts and goblins and serial killers begging for candy isn't a gateway to worshiping Satan. It's just fun for kids and a headache for us scrooges who long for the days when kids made up their own costumes from stuff they found around the house and parents weren't asked to provide $50 worth of crap for parties at school.
Bah, humbug!
I feel so much better having gotten that off my chest. Thank you for listening.
So anyway, with two amazing magazines to pore over, I'm bursting with inspiration right now yet have had so little time in my craft area to give expression to it. School starts on August 23, so in 17 days, 15 hours, and 5 minutes, both my boys will be in school buildings and not demanding that, you know, I be the mommy every blessed minute of the day.
Schools are why the insane asylums are not full of moms, and teachers are the most wonderful people on earth. (This post has already been interrupted by my youngest three times...it's a miracle I'm ever coherent enough to blog in the summer!)
Y'all wonder why I babble.
Anyway, here's the card for today (the real reason you are here), with lots of wonderful white space and some really happy colors!
The stamped panel is small and graphic (straight lines love curves, curves love straight lines, or something like that) and it needed a bit more than just a few dimensionals under it. That's why I added the white mat. Orange or green would have been too heavy, but the touch of white gives just the right frame to the mostly white stamped panel and keeps the whole card light and clean.
Pear tart (tee-hee) and Tangelo Memento inks make me happy. What are your happy colors?
Supplies
stamps: Papertrey Turning a New Leaf, Sign Language, Faux Ribbon
ink: Memento
paper: Papertrey white
accessories: dimensionals
Such a wonderfully designed card! Hawaiian Shores with Hibiscus and New Leaf (all PTI colors) have my attention lately.
ReplyDeleteYes, Yes and Yes! To the greatness of this special issue and your feelings about Halloween :) I got my copy at a local bookstore Saturday and have been sneaking peeks while the kids watch tv. It is the best one yet!
ReplyDeleteI was at Barnes & Noble today and they already had the new card design issue out too.
ReplyDeleteI flipped through it and I agree with you about the very small bits of design info.
I've done some reading on composition and art theory online so the terms weren't completely new to me. But I was definitely hoping for more than just a couple lines of tips. All of the samples were wonderful though in illustrating the design elements.
Also, I too am a Halloween scrooge! I do enjoy the trick-or-treating with my kids, but don't do a single bit of crafting or card making for it.
I had to laugh when I read your post Susan. My name is susan and my husband is a George too!! And we have always frequented bookstores on our special outings. We morned the loss of Borders.
ReplyDeleteI thought I was the only Halloween Scrooge, and for all the same reasons you listed. I also detest that people bus their kids to the "good" neighborhoods. Seriously missing the whole point.
ReplyDeleteANYway, I will continue to lurk and read up on all the crafty goodness you will impart here. :)
PS: I've seen a lot of orange and yellow this week. Hmmm ...
Oh, so much to respond to in your post! I'm nodding along with everything you say. I love school holidays, mostly because we don't have to rush around so much (getting kids to school and me to work with lunch bags packed, hair and teeth brushed, and out the door with all the day's required items by 7am is a daily struggle). But, I do find it challenging to be "Mum" non-stop, especially when I can't even go to the bathroom without hearing "Mummy! Where are you???"
ReplyDeleteGorgeous card, Susan. I love that tiny central panel. :-)
I only make 2 Halloween cards each year - one for my grandniece and the other for my grandson. They both live far, far away from us. The card encloses a small gift card treat. The colors of your card are so cool together. I'm looking forward to those magazines.
ReplyDeleteoh gosh.. that is awesome :) I love PTI for the reason that it allows for much creativity!
ReplyDeleteLove the white mat, must pinch that idea!
ReplyDeleteNeat, interesting card! I like your happy colors; even the names will make one smile! I love your valuable "babble" and hope you can put up with my lack of good grammar and wretched punctuation! Oh, and I'm Gabby because I can gabble babble w/the best of 'em. Hee! :)
ReplyDeleteI do stop by to see your cards but also thoroughly enjoy your point of view and great sense of humor!
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to let you know your thoughts about Halloween and Back to School made me laugh out loud. Thanks for the chuckle - I needed that. And love, love, love your cards. I'm a faithful follower :-)
ReplyDeleteBabble away all you like, Susan - I love reading it and it makes me smile. I'm with you on Halloween - so I never ever make Halloween cards. Which is good as it eliminates a whole theme of stamps that I am never tempted to buy!
ReplyDeleteI love the layout of your card and the double layers - they work perfectly. My happy colours are blue and yellow - they speak to me of blue sky and sunshine, they make me feel calm and warm and joyous.
I'm glad to know there are lots of halloween scrooges out there! I don't make halloween cards either, but may have to make an exception this year after winning a cute set on a blog challenge: just a couple for the grand kids!
ReplyDeleteLove the card and love the babbling! I agree about Thanksgiving and teachers. Since I used to be a teacher I appreciate the kind words!
ReplyDeleteWhile I totally enjoy making Halloween cards, I do get upset every year because Thanksgiving is pushed more and more out of the picture. It's a huge example of how narcissistic our society has become. It's all about what can I get, how much fun can I have, etc. Too many people take for granted their many blessings and at the risk of being too honest for most people they really aren't thankful because they feel they "deserve" all they have rather than feeling they are blessed to have it.
I would love to see the magazine issue you have been talking about, but it probably won't happen. The papercrafting magazines are just so expensive I have to settle for getting my inspiration and technique tips and tutorials from the Internet. I have no formal art or design training, but I feel that I have a good sense of what looks good on a card... probably because of my many years of sewing and working with fabrics, colors and clothing design. My mother was a professional seamstress so I think I inherited just a little of her amazing talent.
August is a hard month. My kids are long past the squabbling stage and I do enjoy their company but I, too, feel a bit weary. The school year can be hectic but it has a rhythm. Summer doesn't, which is good AND bad.
ReplyDeleteI want my (almost 17-year-old) son to work on SAT prep and his AP history reading and his vision therapy but he, ever the procastinator, is not motivated. I did not bother him the first six weeks of summer with any of that, thinking he'd then be more willing to buckle down in August but that's not the case. And I just have to let it go. He is smart and mature and I have to let him do things his own way or he will never really learn how to manage his time and motivate himself--the two biggest keys to college success, in my opinion. Meanwhile, my daughter (15) is like her dad--she always needs a goal, a project, or a social event and keeping her happy and engaged takes a whole different set of parenting skills. She always wants MORE; my son always wants LESS. I am grateful for the lack of serious problems and drama and the fun side of their company, but nevertheless, I am weary...
Which may be why the kids bought my husband and I a restaurant gift card and insisted we go out for dinner last Friday. We, too, stopped at a bookstore afterwards, and I bought a softcover book by Papercrafts featuring hundreds of templates and card designs. I'm looking forward to trying some new layouts.
I love the color scheme and the way you popped your central image on the above card. Very fresh!
I love
Wow everyone has a lot to say. I agree completely on your views. I use to make my kids costumes...that made it fun but now it feels dangerous and greedy. Let's talk happy colors. Lime green is very appealing to me recently but pink and green are just so feminine. I really enjoyed your post:)
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely fabulous card! I couldn't agree more with your entire post! Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI got my copy yesterday at JoAnn Fabrics Sunday. I'm just starting to look at it today. I like to go slow, otherwise I'm to the end too fast and feel I need to go find another magazine! I'm with you on Halloween. My oldest son had to be something bigger and better every year. When he was about 10, his father made a huge shark from a refrigerator box, covered in felt. It went over my son's head, and all you saw were his ripped up jeans with red paint. Very cute costume, but he couldn't get through the doors of his school, and they had to assign an aid just to him to walk him through the school and along the parade! He's 26 now, and he still loves Halloween. And I love that I'm no longer responsible for his costumes! Beautiful card!! I love the yellow and the simplicity!
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your blog for quite a while I was struck by how much I had in common with you. Now I see that your birthday is the day after mine...this is getting weird! Anyway, I digress. I don't hate Halloween, but I much prefer Thanksgiving. And your card is great. I might use that stamp to make a border along the edge of a card.
ReplyDeleteGreat card, but I've come to expect nothing less -- which is why I'm always checking in. ;-) I'm from a pretty small town where even the middle school and high school kids dress up for trick-or-treating. It's still fun for me, but I don't make any cards for it. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It's after 12:30 a.m. here, but I suddenly have a craving for turkey and mashed potatoes (and cooler Fall weather).
ReplyDeleteThis card is so elegant with the white mat perfect choice. I agree 100% about the halloween vs thanksgiving. When my kids were little we decorated a little fake pine with fall leaves and fall color lights and each day they were given a paper leaf to write what they were thankful. From labor day up to thanksgiving. They are older now and I still put up the tree and they are amused at some of their old leaves. Now that has become one of our favorite memories. TFS!
ReplyDeleteEeep, Deanna! You've given me an awesome idea! Thanks so much!
ReplyDelete