Showing posts with label Cute by the inch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cute by the inch. Show all posts

August 31, 2010

A 2 Minute Card and a 15 Minute Card

  Today's card was inspired by the Body & Spirit Day Spa.  Let me explain.  My husband is the sweetest guy I know and loves to give me gift certificates to Body & Spirit.  Cheryl gives fantastic pedicures and Leigh is by far the best massage therapist we know (we can't say enough about her!).  Because both ladies are so good at what they do I like to give them a gratuity at the end of the service and a little thank you note to go along with it.  I've found that 3x3 cards are the easiest to give and take only minutes to make.  This card took about two minutes to make.
    

     I also wanted to make a more detailed card for a co-worker who really helped me out this summer (thanks Kim!).  Because I'm giving her a gift along with the card I decided to revamp the card a bit and add a touch more detail. 




    For the second card I "dyed" the brads Night of Navy to match the cardstock and added Extra Thick Embossing Enamel to the sentiment (I know it's hard to tell from the photo).  If I were to make this card again I would run the Whisper White cardstock through the Big Shot with the Perfect Polka Dots embossig folder (pg 214, $7.95) for a textured background.  The second card took about 15 minutes to complete.

Stamps: Cute By the Inch (hostess)
Paper: Whisper White, Night of Navy
Ink: Night of Navy classic and craft
Tools & Accessories: brads, ETEE, square punches, 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, dimensionals

July 30, 2010

If I Made This Card Again I Would...

     Ever made a card and found yourself thinking, "Gee, if I made this again I would definitely change...."?  That's exactly what I was thinking after I made this card.
   The original, here on the left, was inspired by the colors in the Autumn Traditions DSP from the 2009-10 Idea Book & Catalog (I love those colors!).  After I made it I stepped back and kept thinking that there was something not quite right with the card.  It's an ok card but I found myself thinking that if I made the card again I would change a few things.  On the inside of the card it was easy to see the the paper piercing was not up to code; it was crooked (something a perfectionist like me just cannot handle!).  That was one thing that needed to be changed.  I had also toyed with the idea of popping the scalloped squares up on dimensionals but changed my mind at the last minute.  Those had to be raised so that would be the second thing I'd change.  And let's talk about the ribbon - it's just all wrong.  I love Elegant Eggplant but I don't have the 5/8" grosgrain that I thought would look great with this card so I paired it with chocolate chip.  Hmmmm, that would be change #3.  And the panel in the middle needed something else.  More piercing?  Done, change #4. 
  But it was too hot and humid in the craft room do do anything about it then so I left the card and came back to it a day later. 
    And here is the remake of the original (who says you can't remake a card, they do it to movies and songs all the time, right?).  Much better the second time around!
   
Stamps:  Cute by the Inch (hostess)
Paper: Always Artichoke, More Mustard, Ruby Red (retired), Elegant Eggplant
Paper:  Crumb Cake, Elegant Eggplant, More Mustard, Ruby Red (retired), Always Artichoke, Whisper White
Tools & Accessories:  Paper piercing tools, white ribbon, dimensionals.



     And on a different note,  I couldn't resist adding a photo of the awful working conditions I'm subjected to!  Being such a creative person takes not only time but also space.  I have one little area in our spare bedroom in which to create my masterpieces, and as you can see from this photo, Floyd doesn't understand the concept of personal space yet.  Unfortunately, this is a fairly frequent occurrence in my "stamping studio", making it quite difficult to produce the little works of art my customers have become accustomed to.  Oh, I could simply close the door to the room but then I would have to listen to his downright pitiful meows as he scratches at the bottom of the door, waiting for me to open it.  And then when I do open the door there's that heartbreaking look.  The one that says "I only want to come visit with you, pleeeeeease let me in... I love you..."  Oh, deary me, it's a good thing my little buddy is so gosh darn cute...