Hello Again!

It has been a minute since I've posted anything... I guess life happens, and what can you do? :)  The first card, "Bun in the Oven" was made in bulk for my cousin Jazmine, she's having a baby shower in October, so I had to get those out.  I simplified my original design, but also went to town a bit more with the bun, used my Cricut for that part.  I actually drew the oven and cut it out, manually did the oven outline and the inside... that was the most time consuming part.  On my original card, there was another button/star/ribbon embellishment, but I just didn't have the time.  I'm happy with it.

Second card is "Cool Chick".  I've had the opportunity to be up close and personal with some chickens lately, and I have to say, the one I made with my Cricut is WAY less scary.  Chickens move quick, and I just don't trust that... their door opens, and all of a sudden wings are flapping.  Not cool. :)  The card was simple, and fun to make... I used some of the square cards I got in that huge eBay score recently. 

Third card, "Let's Eat" also came about organically; I had eaten Ramen the night before, hence the noodles.  Who'd a thunk it, I'd actually have the means to make a bowl of noodles???  I'm excited to get back to my cards in the not too distant future, maybe get a few more Cricut cartridges, who knows?  I have very little free time these days, and when I do have some, I am usually tired tired tired.  The plan is to get back to one card per week, the one card per night thing just isn't happening anymore.  I can't let my ideas get too stale.  I have one on deck that was so kindly given to me... it involves a few more chickens and a spilled drink.  Not my own idea, but hey, I'll take it any way I can get it. :)

Until next time, don't hold your breath... Mama has thangs to do. ;)

XO

Congratulations BABY!

This card was made last night for one of the therapist interns at work, who is an awesome person, and I'm so happy for her and her husband on their new addition.  Her baby shower will be on Monday, so the rest of the interns and some of us staff are trying to get things together for a little surprise party.  I LOVE our interns, the ones who've been with us the last year.  They are so awesome, and so when they leave soon (after they accrue enough hours, they are outro) we'll get a whole new crop and we do it all over.  They, and their take no shit attitudes will be sorely missed.  Anyway, I regress... the baby carriage was super simple to make: I used my circle cutter at 3 1/2'', I think, and made a circle, then just cut out a piece and added some scallops.  Easy peasy?  The hardest part (an HOUR) was deciding what paper to make the background.  I had almost settled on a black and white houndstooth, but at the last moment used this glittery paper.  I think it's okay... not sure.  Anyway, like with the "Orange you glad we're friends" card, I used the clothesline idea and little pins.  I have lots of those suckers and they've just been sitting in jars.  That's the trouble with cute-as-hell embellishments.  Your instinct is to collect them, but shoot, what's the use of having them in jars?  I have begun to use the stuff I buy, and I think it makes for extra special cards.  Here's a closeup of this card:

The pins are, in my opinion, too large for the scale of the card and in comparison to everything else, but what the F can ya do?  I could have used a bigger greeting placard, but whatevs.  I must stop by Michael's for more cards, as I'm down to two.  TWO, I tell ya!  I have some others that have stuff on the front, and that may be used, but I like my 5" x 6.5" jobs.  I also have those tags that I wanted to work on as short projects.  I have been devouring the Hero Arts blog, Flickr page and YouTube channel the last few days, and they are AWESOME people over there.  Their stamps are off the fckn hook, and I plan on getting the bike series and maybe the typewriter clear stamp, it's just too cute for words.  (Pun right there, did you catch that?)  Their tutorials are good also, have given me about a zillion ideas and I'm in dire need of a few more things from the damn craft store.  Have they succeeded in making an already frantic consumer a bit more frantic?  Maybe... but, it's getting more interesting.  I also LOVE Cards Magazine's blog, it's called "Create", it's one of those whose giveaways are amazing, so I'll keep trying.

That's all for today, as if it weren't enough.
xo

Card Factory

Folks, it would seem that all I do is crank out the cards... I guess this is true.  I got an order from Anabella's mommy yesterday for one Easter card, a baby shower card and two thank-you's.  I had the Easter card already, and also a good thank-you from last weekend (remember the one with the bird?)  So, as soon as I got home yesterday, I got to work.  I had to make sure I was done with enough time to do the rest of the things I had to do, so it was a crunch!  Anyway,  I wanted to show the two new ones I made.  I wanted to post both pix of the baby shower card, one with flash and one without so you can see how the dimension dots really made the onesie pop:

And here it is without flash:

Since SOMEbody said that the onesie gets kind of lost in the background, I think this works. For the "ruffles" on the edges, I used my hole puncher on some white cardstock; I drew a light pencil line along the edge of the plaid part and then glued the circles on the middle of the line, trimming the edges.  I think it worked really nicely.  I have a girly version I'll work on tonight.  There are so many babies lately!  Baby boom 2011.  Also, I'll work on my sober birthday cards this weekend.  I have to keep in mind that we have those ALL year here at the office.  Anyway, here's the second card I made; it is for my sister to give to her in-law's family, I think, so I had to keep the cheeky-ness to a minimum:

I used a pin here, see it above the bow?  I like using straight pins on a card, but you have to be careful it won't come out and stab somebody.  I made sure it went into the dimension dot under the thank you placard.  This is from my FAVORITE doodles paper pad.  I went back to Jo-Ann to look for another paper pad, since they were on sale, but didn't find anything really good.  Their cardstock packets SUCK, by the way.  Their paper is so flimsy.  Michael's is the best for cardstock.  My next purchase(s) will be an embossing heat tool (with powder, and glue pad) or (and?) a large glitter set, with glue pad for stamping.  I've gotten more stamps, but don't  use them as much... I guess I am not as into the stamping, but that will most definitely change once I can emboss backgrounds and add glitter to my cards.  It really makes a difference.  I guess I'll hold out for a Silhouette until I can find it on sale, or for a good price on eBay. 

Okay, enough of my crafting addiction.  Sheesh!  So, yesterday I found out that budget has been approved for me to accompany our Director of Clinical Services to Baltimore, MD for a three-day conference on treatment for the homeless.  I'm SUPER excited, those things are always really interesting and fun, even.  You get to talk shop with lots of service providers, and always make connections.  It's held at a Marriot Waterfront, and I think that's where we're staying, too.  I hear it's a two-hour train to New York, so I'm thinking about that, maybe JUST to have a descent slice of pizza and a hot dog from Grey's Papaya.  Or a cheesesteak from this place near the Verrazano Bridge in Brooklyn, or a slice of Grandma's Pizza from Williamsburg, or or OR!  The food alone may lure my hungry ass there.  I'd LOVE to do some shopping, too... we'll see. :)

Sun is out, let's hope it stays!
xo

Another Summery Day!

It's such a nice day already, the Santa Ana winds are nice and warm, getting warmer as the sun comes up.  I just wish it were nice enough to have a REAL beach day!  The card above was made last night.  I told myself that I was going to get away from the baby shower stuff for one night, and make something else, but I couldn't do it!  I thought maybe I'd give this to my sister, since it's the colors that her party stuff is.  I got those cute little clothes pins at this HUGE craft store downtown, sort of by the missions near skid row, but it was the store of my dreams.  They had SO much stuff... kind of overwhelming.  I couldn't find an album to make her baby book, I think I may have to use eBay or Overstock for that.

The party is eating up all my free time and money, and so I look forward to being done with it, not that it's a burden or something that I am not fully enjoying (FInally!), but I am so ready for a weekend of shopping and sleeping in.  And maybe even a trip somewhere... seeing the skiing on telly lately has me really wanting to go.  It would be something fun to do with a few families, rent a big cabin or something... anyway, some sort of "yay me" treat is in order... like, asap.  My office is DONE, all the way (have ONE picture to hang and that's IT) and I'm so happy with the outcome.  After I thought I was done last time, we found another piece that I wanted, and that changed everything, the whole layout of the room.  I had to move it around, making sure to have a clear getaway in case of a rogue client.  It's happened before!  Anyway, I was going to post a few pix of that, but that sounds pretty corny.  I will just say this, it is all light wood, and I have SO much storage space which cleared ALL of the clutter that tends to gather with time.  My desk is bigger and I even got a little workspace with a computer for an intern.  Things at work are great.    Anyway, I don't have room anymore for a little sofa or comfy chair, but that's okay.  I don't have time anymore for sitting around anyway.  Hence the need for a vacation.  AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

I'm so happy it's sunny outside, it's such a relief...

:)