In Memory of my Vacation

The first (and only!) card I've made since returning from vacation was inspired by that vacation, which was to northern Minnesota. A resort on Lake Vermilion, to be precise.

Before I show the card, however, take a look at my order from Creative Play. I ordered on Monday, and it arrived today, with a bit of Flowersoft Silk Ribbon thrown in gratis. How fun! Quick service and a little pressie!

It seemed appropriate to use one of the stamps for my vacation card. Obviously the Christmas set wouldn't quite work, so I used the woodgrain background (Hero Arts) to simulate...

water.

Yep. Have you ever noticed that woodgrain looks like ripples on a pond or lake? Mother Nature is amazing, isn't she? And I saw first-hand this effect while kayaking early one morning as escort to my insane husband who swam across the bay, around an island, and back to the resort...about 1.5 miles. In a wetsuit. He could have been run over by a boat, hence the kayak escort.

I definitely had the better gig.

Anyway, back to the card. The water is represented by the woodgrain stamp, the relaxation of the vacation by the flip-flops, and the sentiment because it's true. The punched label is curvy and reminds me of hearts for some reason, and I hearted my vacation.

As for the woodgrain stamp, it works like a dream. I tried it on my stamp pad (sort of like a giant, extra-thick mouse pad) and it worked great with just pressure! Most big backgrounds require me to stand on them to get a good image. Have I ever showed you how I do that? Basically, I have a 1-foot square piece of good-one-side plywood, protected by copy paper. Ugly, but useful. And cheap. It slides under the baker's rack next to my desk so I can pull it out as needed.

But I didn't need it this time because that woodgrain background stamps beautifully!

Remember to check the For Sale Tab to see what stamps I have for sale.

Supplies
stamps: Hero Arts (background), Papertrey (Day at the Beach)
ink: Memento
paper: PTI kraft, SU bashful blue, MFP white
accessories: dimensionals, label punch, rhinestones

Cheers and the Question of Art

I made this card a while back with the intent of using it during Little Things week. Then I forgot about it. What a shame because it's a fun card!

Hmm. I want a margarita.

There's been a lot of chatter on SCS about whether what we do is art, and it's got me thinking. Here's my perspective on the subject. If you're not interested in my blah, blah, blah, just skip to the supply list at the bottom of this post. There's as much value in that as in my musings on art. *snort*

Art, to me, is the end result of deliberately creative self-expression.

That's it. Not all art is good art, of course; in fact, a lot of art--perhaps even most art--is bad. But it's still art. It doesn't take talent to make art. Sweat, hard work, and study are actually more important, but little kids make art all the time without sweating, studying, or working hard. I make art, and Leonardo Da Vinci made art.

His, however, is way more better than mine. He devoted his life to his art. My art is a passionate hobby.

But that doesn't matter. We shouldn't compare our creative expression to anyone else's creative expression. I do the best I can with what I have and follow my own muse. Leo did his best, too, and his muse totally rocked. 

I found a quotation from Einstein on Pinterest recently that's relevant here:

Art is like genius. Leonardo climbed the tree. I swim in the water. I'm not denied art because I can't paint the Mona Lisa. 

Creative self-expression gives voice to what's inside a person's heart, soul, mind, spirit. What's inside us is valuable, precious, special. We should treat it with respect and not belittle it, and we should let it sing in whatever way it can. I'm Susan and stamping makes me happy.

No, what I do is not at all in any way comparable to what Leonardo did.

It's not supposed to be. It is what it is. And it's good enough for me.

Care to make some art? Grab a stamp and express yourself!

Supplies
stamps: SU Cheers to You
ink: Memento
paper: PTI white
accessories: Memento markers, glue pen, glitter
Card Size: 4 7/8" x 3 1/2"

CC316 The Ocean Calls...

If you haven't seen the Winner posts, please click here and here to see if you won!

The color challenge at SCS this week is AWESOME! Marina mist, baja breeze, and certainly celery. Oh happy day!

Here's my card, which takes us under the sea with a sea turtle. I love sea turtles. And pearls. I love pearls.

Oh how I want to go to the beach. Living in a land-locked state stinks.

And yes, I used wavy decorative scissors to make my wavy edge. There's no school like the old school.

Happy Wednesday!

Supplies
stamps: Mark's Finest Papers Tropical Vacation (sentiment), Flourished Sea Creatures
ink: marina mist, certainly celery, baja breeze
paper: marina mist, white
accessories: deco scissors, dimensionals, pearls

Another Pinterest Card

Here's yet another of the cards I made inspired by Marta's Pinterest boards. I loved this kid's room, especially the colors, chairs, and carpet.

The striped table cloth was made with Papertrey's Faux Ribbon set, and the lamp is from Hero Arts. The sentiment comes from Papertrey's Paper Tray set. The colors are Memento inks.

And of course I blinged. Or blung. Did we decide which was correct? I'm all insecure since my matte/mat blunder.

Simplicity Tip: To align the lamps, which are wood-mounted rubber, I put a 6" quilt ruler across the top of the card and centered it so the number 3 was in the exact middle. Then I made a little mark where I wanted the central lamp base to go. Using a stamp postitioner, I stamped the central lamp. Then, it was easy enough to use the positioner to align the right and left lamps by eyeball. Of coures, I erased the pencil mark when I was done. Memento ink dries quickly...but don't rush the erasing. You'll get mad and say bad words when you ruin a finished card.

A Story about Men and Measuring Tape

Once upon a time (last week), I made this card.

When I finished it, I was so happy. It's fresh, it's clean (look at all that white space!), and it makes Yo-Yo Yellow look awesome (which is quite an accomplishment, don't you think?).

As I was editing the photo of it on my computer a few days ago, my husband walked by.

"Check out this cool card I made!" I said.

He stared at it for a minute. "'It's been too long. Too long." And he dissolved into giggles.

I rolled my eyes and said, "Five inches isn't too long for that."

So he said, "True. Do you know why women can't guess how long things are?"

"Why?"

"Because they've always been told that this [holds hands five inches apart] is ten inches."

And now this card is ruined for me.

The end.

Supplies
stamps: Hero Arts (ruler), Papertrey (sentiment)
ink: Memento
paper: SU yo-yo yellow, Papertrey white
accessories: dimensionals

Losing Weight

When I first made this card, I loved it and couldn't wait to post it here. Then, as soon as I saw it on my computer screen, I thought, "Dang, that ribbon is too heavy!"

So I put the ribbon on a New Year's diet, added a third bling (but made the bling smaller), and it looked better. The thin lines of the stamped leaves from Growing Green by StampinUp were just too weighted down and unbalanced by the heavy grosgrain. Using the satin-and-sheer ribbon lightens up the line and balances the single word so much better.

If you're struggling with a design, try photographing it. Seeing it in two dimesions on your computer screen may help you identify what's out of balance.

And for those who want to know how I adhered the sheer ribbon...it was a pain. It's wrapped around and stuck down with a one-inch strip of 1/8" Scor-Tape. It looks okay, not great, on the inside. I may cover the inside with a piece of cardstock. The grosgrain has a strip of Scor-Tape across its whole length and is cut flush with the edge of the card, which results in a neat, tidy, and non-fraying edge.

So the lesson here is to use a solid image on the top third of the card so the grosgrain ribbon isn't too heavy.

The end.

Bee Happy

In my previous life as an academic intellectual, I despised puns. Now, however, I'm starting to like them. Or at least not despise them. And sometimes, I can actually use one without feeling like grading the card in red ink with a big, fat F.

Such is the case today with these adorable bees from Hero Arts. LOVE them! (By the way, in my previous life as an academic intellectual, I never used all caps or exclamation points, either. My goodness, how the snob has fallen!)

I made this card from bits and pieces I found in my tin of bits and pieces...punched and/or stamped pieces that have been sitting in a tin for months (or years) just waiting to be used. I'd made about five or six of the heart circles with the gemstones long ago, and, at another time, had stamped, colored, and punched the bees. When I dumped the tin out last week, bees fell next to the heart circles and INSPIRATION!!!!!

(More all caps and exclamation points. Have I no shame? No, not really. This blog isn't, after all, the Publication of the Modern Language Association or the Journal of Medieval Studies. How many of you would be here if it were one of those revered and respected scholarly journals? Yeah, I thought so. Typographical shouting and punctuational enthusiasm add charm to my current life as a stamp-obsessed, stay-at-home-mommy blogger. Go, me!)

Tomorrow, I'm posting about photographing cards, which seems really strange because I don't feel my photos are anywhere close to the quality of, say, Julie Ebersole's or Joan B's. But for those of you who are novice photographers with limited equipment and next to no photo editing skills, well, I'm here for you. Or will be tomorrow.

Don't forget about OLW25! There are some amazing cards already posted to Jennifer's challenge, and I'm hoping to play sometime today. I have the perfect stamp!!!

There I go again. Let's hear it for egregious punctuation!

Supplies
stamps: Hero Arts, Papertrey Ink (sentiment from Honey Bees)
ink: Palette Noir, SU markers in amethyst and celery
paper: PTI white, SU amethyst
accessories: heart and circle punches, rhinestone, dimensionals, scallop scissors to round the corners a bit

On Blog Hops, Envelope Advice, and the SU Bird Punch

On Blog Hops

If you missed the Clean and Simple Blog Hop, please check it out. A bunch of very talented ladies made amazing cards to celebrate the Fall-To Layout's 100th sketch. You can join them by making your own card and linking to it on the C&S Blog.

Envelope Advice

Next, I have had several questions about card sizes and envelopes. I DO NOT MAKE ENVELOPES. I'm just too lazy, and besides, envelopes are even more likely than cards to end up in the trash. Too much effort for too little reward: that's my opinion. So I KEEP IT SIMPLE and limit my cards to sizes that will fit into envelopes I have on hand.

Fortunately, Marco's Paper has a brick-and-mortar store that's an easy drive from my house. It's a fun place to browse for envelopes, with lots of sizes, papers, and colors to choose from. Here are my favorite sizes, all of which take standard US postage:

A2, for 5.5" x 4.25" cards (standard for half an 8.5" x 11" sheet of cardstock)

A6, for 6.25" x 4.5" cards

A7, for 5" x 7" cards

#4, for 4 7/8" x 3.5" cards

#7.5, 7.25" x 3.75" cards

Marco's website for envelopes is confusing right now (looks like they might be updating it), so I'll not provide a link at this time. It's not listing sizes for the envelopes. But my advice for buying envelopes is to find an office supply store (mom-and-pops have more selection than, say, Office Depot, and often will sell by the envelope, not just prepackaged boxes) or a fine stationery store, and browse. Seeing and touching makes a huge difference.

Then, you can adapt your cards to what envelope sizes you have. For instance, you can make a square card using the smaller dimension that fits into a standard envelope (i.e., a 5" square card fits in an A7 envelope). The US Postal Service charges extra for square envelopes, and that's a great way to avoid the extra charge.

To remind me what sizes I can make, I post a notecard on the bulletin board over my desk listing the card sizes that fit the envelopes I have on hand. It's just a little index card with a handwritten list, but it works to remind me that I can change the size as needed.

I hope that helps newcomers to card-making feel a bit more oriented on card sizes. Get the envelopes; then make the cards to fit. It's far easier and less stressful that way!

SU Bird Punch

Today's cards use the StampinUp bird punch and PTI's Text Style background set. The first version uses bright colors, and the second is very subtle. I think changing the colors really changes the feel of the card.





Design Discussion: Once I saw these cards in photographs, I realized they would look better with either a) the sentiment on the left instead of the right or b) the bird facing right. I counted on the fact that the leaves point at the sentiment to guide the eye, but it bothers me that the bird is looking away from the sentiment. In fact, it's almost like he pooped out the sentiment. Ewwww.

Other than that little design faux pas, I'm very happy with these light and airy cards.

Supplies
stamps: PTI
ink: Versacolor
paper: PTI
accessories: SU bird punch, dimensionals, bling

Pun Ambivalence

First, today's card, using a Hero Arts clear set.

This card is part of my self-imposed challenge to use up some of my scraps and already-cut card bases that have multiplied beyond reason. The layout is the same as this card, which goes to show you can get pretty different looks just by changing up the color. The red with cool caribbean on the Sweet Moments card is so punchy and high energy, while the kraft with cool caribbean is a bit more relaxing, calmer, but still fun. I love it when a Bic Mark-It marker matches SU cardstock so well.

Now, for chatter. Puns, like cliches, have always bothered me. You see, I was an English major and eventually a college English teacher, so I'm conditioned to groan, not laugh, at puns. Shakespeare and Chaucer are allowed to use the occasional pun, but those two can get away with anything. If they both anachronistically stood on stage on their heads, naked and whistling Dixie, I'd enthusiastically applaud their genius.

Pause for a moment and let that image sink in. You're welcome.

But mere humans like myself should not use puns. It's not dignified. (Please note the heavy irony in my last sentence; I'm dignified only in my dreams.)

My complaints about StampinUp from the beginning have been the gratuitous use of puns and the totally unnecessary exclamation point in their company name. Somehow, I ended up with Very Punny. (Was it a "Sale"-Abration set? Good heavens, SU must stop doing this.) When I "mounted" the rubber (please groan), I put the punny sentiments on the sides of the blocks so it would be easier to ignore them. The pun that belonged with the fish, however, offended me so much with its stupidity that I threw it in the trash.

My apologies to anyone who likes that stamp.

Through constant exposure to stamp puns and the loss of what little dignity I had after birthing two boys and having to say things like "Hands out of pants" daily, however, I'm changing my mind. I'm using puns occasionally now and don't even feel like I have to wash my hands afterward. Life's more fun this way, and I'm totally okay with that.

So today's card is for you, my blog readers. I like you a latte!

(No extra charge for the exclamation point.)

Fruitful Silliness (edited)

There's a story behind this card. If you like pear images, don't read this post. You have been warned.

I'm not a fan of pear stamps. I know, what is WRONG with me? When I first started stamping, I was on dial-up and had no patience for looking up inspiration online. The only stamp magazines the Borders in Rapid City carried were Stampington's first (whatever it was/is called), Rubber Stamper, and Rubberstamp Madness. After a year of soaking up each issue, I developed a deep and abiding dislike for four things: the color brown, paper doll images, jesters, and pears. Those of you who prefer crisp, clean cards know exactly what I'm talkin' about, don't you?

If you really love pears and don't want anything to interfere with that love, REALLY don't read this paragraph. Just skip to the next paragraph. In medieval literature, pears symbolize the male anatomy. Yep, every time I see a pear image, I see, well, you know.... StampinUp has a particularly disturbing pear on page 113 in its current catalog. If you own that catty, shall I wait until you have looked it up so you can be disturbed, too?

Are you back yet? Okay. English majors have really dirty minds. You can read more about my dirty English-major mind HERE if you want. Or not.

When I bought Papertrey's Fruitful set, it definitely wasn't for the pears. It was for the citrus slices. And the berries. And the grape clusters. And the peaches. I can control my thoughts with these fruits. Most of the time.

So as I challenged myself to use every stamp in that set on a card, I left the pears for last. I used the big pear on an okay card just to say I had used it. It's stamped on a punched circle and if you're reading this, you might guess where that visual prompted my brain to go....

All that remained was the little pear. After banging my head on my table for a few minutes, I decided to make a VERY untraditional pear card. Of course, I like right angles and almost never deliberately make stuff crooked, but when I realized this particular sentiment (from Hero Arts) fit inside the square, I just had to make those rainbow pears laugh and giggle.

I hope you're laughing and giggling, too. Otherwise, you're trying to find me so you can pummel me with a bushel of pears for forever ruining them for you.

I'm sorry.

Supplies
cardstock: PTI white
stamps: PTI Fruitful, Hero Arts sentiment
ink: SU classic bold brights
accessories: dimensionals, square punch

CAS25 Sketch Challenge

This week's CAS challenge is a sketch challenge based on this card by Kristie Lee...one of my favorite CAS stampers!

My mojo was not firing yesterday AT ALL until after everyone was in bed and I took one little nugget of inspiration from Ann, who said she planned on using Primas with the sketch. Hmm. I have a BUNCH of Maya Road velvet flowers purchased from PTI that have been hanging in my hoard for, oh, forever. I also have brads of every color and size. So here is the result of opening up my hoard and *gasp* USING some of it.













Thanks, Ann, for helping me not be a hoarder.

Supplies
cardstock: PTI white
stamps: PTI Polka Dot Basics, Paper Tray
ink: SU only orange, green galore, real red, Versacolor orchid, Palette Noir
accessories: ribbon, velvet ribbon, dimensionals, brads, velvet flowers

Happy Hello

I made the grid with PTI's retro backgrounds set, stamped the turquoise with their text backgrounds, and used PTI white buttons. All the paper is from StampinUp, and the sentiment is from Hero Arts. My three favorite stamp companies all on one card...ahhhhhh, joy!

Have a glorious Sunday!

What is a B-1 Stamp?

My DH was an officer in the United States Air Force for twenty years. For most of his USAF career, he flew as a Weapons Systems Officer in the back seat of a B-1 Bomber, affectionately referred to as the Bone. (B-1 spelled out is B-one, or Bone.) I bought a B-1 stamp years ago. It's his favorite stamp, and he threatened to make my Mother's Day card with it. Hence my surprise at the lack of a B-1 on the card he made.

Here's a card I made for him with it...and a warning. This card is a little naughty. If you are easily offended by married people being a little naughty, don't scroll down.

I bet everyone scrolls down. I would.