Category : Creativity

623 posts

Building a card stash

As I mentioned in a previous post, I’ve been sending more cards. This, in turn, depletes my stash. Over the past week, I’ve been having fun creating some new designs using some scraps as well as previously created card bases.

I have an index card box full of precut layering pieces for cards. This comes in handy for quick card making. I also have a wooden cigar box filled with mini collages for cards or journal pages. Doing some of the mindless prep work ahead of time leaves more time for the creative process and doesn’t interrupt the flow of ideas.

I am also starting to pre-make some sentiment pieces. I grabbed my tag and mason jar punches to start. The mason jar is so darn cute. The punch itself is a bit finicky. It jams almost every single time. UGH!!!!

I am willing to put up with it though because…look how cute this is!!!! After I stamped the pale seafoam green I realized that it was beginning to look like an old-fashioned blue mason. I used a cosmetic sponge to shade in two colors of blue dye-based ink. Then rubbed the top of the jar on a gray pigment ink pad to act as the zinc lid.

I used foam tape to lift it off the page so I could add some sticker flowers to the jar. So fun!

I can 100% guarantee that you’ll be seeing more cards and postcards. They are really quite addictive to create.

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Butterflies everywhere

I’ve been sending so many more cards and little care packages since the stay-at-home order began. I had to order more stamps and really needed to make some new cards to replenish my stash.

These are my favorite type of cards. Little bits of scraps, snippets from magazines and whatever else finds its way into my scrap bin.

In 2015, I wrote an article for Sew Somerset describing my process for mini-collages such as these. I now see them all over YouTube in the junk journal community. They call them clusters.

Without even realizing it, most of my recent creations featured butterflies.

collage postcard collection

Even most of these collage postcards I made for my MIL.

One even found its way onto one of the tags I made from the off cuts of the postcards.

Maybe I just have mom on my mind. She was nuts about butterflies. They always make me think of her.

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T Tuesday: bits and pieces edition

Hello! We’re still here…all still here…always…

Have you settled into a routine within our new normal? I feel as if we have. It’s slightly less structured than the beginning of this new normal. Workspaces have shifted. Schedules have adjusted…Marvin is still not pleased but such is the life of a cat.

In my free time, I’ve continued to put scrap paper to use making serendipity collages. These are so fun and can be made without much thought. Very therapeutic.

I was able to cut 3 postcards, 2 tags, a bookmark, and a tiny tag. These are not finished of course but a good start.

I have a bunch of seedlings started in my plant cart. Tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers so far. I have some flower seeds in the purple pots but they are kind of old so I’m not holding my breath on those. I also started a few cold-weather crops outside…I’ve never tried it this early so we’ll see what happens.sewing masks

sewing masks

I got back to sewing more masks as well. My fabric selection is dwindling as well as my elastic supply. Thankfully I had a spool I bought last year when I was making scrunchies from Mini-me. Otherwise, I’d have never been able to make as many masks as I have.

Distance learning continues for Mini-me and I.  J has two weeks of class left of his sophomore year of college. Final exams will be taken from his bedroom…so strange.

I’m staying hydrated while getting this post written with some ice water…please excuse the messy desk.

 

T stands for Tuesday
What are you doing today?

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T Tuesday: mixed media edition

Who knew that inspiration could strike while randomly gluing bits and pieces of paper from the scrap bin. Seriously…this is too weird. I was feeling the need to craft something…anything. I had watched a couple of YouTube videos of folks making these insanely beautiful collaged papers. Of course, the bits and pieces that they used were amazing. Pieces that I wouldn’t be “just trying to use up”. But this thought got me to put paper and glue together.serendipity background beginnings

I started with a double-page spread from a children’s music book. I added bits of paper from my scrap bin until I was pleased or in this case…just “done” with this process.serendipity background

Not bad right…not super but workable. I added some washi tape, stamping, and stickers.

Next, I took the sheet to my guillotine cutter and needed to decide how to chop this up.

serendipity background

I decided on three postcards and several tags or perhaps journal cards.

I added some paint and embellishments to the postcards before adhering them to plain paper. I then ran them through the sewing machine to make sure everything stayed firmly together.

serendipity postcard

serendipity postcard

serendipity postcard

Super fun!serendipity background

These are the completed pieces that are ready to use. The gaps are still WIP. Not sure what I’ll do with them but that’s ok.

I had so much fun with this process that I made another collage sheet.serendipity background

I have 5 postcards and 2 tags with a fun springtime vibe.

I made this sheet on Saturday…before this happened on Sunday.Merry Eastergiving

SNOW!! What a crazy weather day. Mini-me and I decided that we should say “Merry Eastergiving” since the outside said Christmas, I was making a Thanksgiving style meal with turkey, all on Easter Sunday for just the 4 of us.

The card in the collage above was made by a sweet friend of mine.  She is a tremendous card maker. I’ve been sending more cards lately. A card in the mailbox is a tiny bit of joy I can send someone. Just getting a handwritten card by a real person these days is nearly cause for celebration. We need that these days.

Distance learning continues at our house…both on the teaching and learning ends of things. chromebook styleMy school issued Chromebook is getting a workout. Stickers optional but fun indeed.

T stands for Tuesday
What are you doing today?

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A second look: recycled t-shirt bags

Since we have entered April, which happens to be Earth Month…or at very least the month that we honor Earth day…I thought it fitting to “recycle” one of my upcycling posts for Second on the 2nd.

Take a look….

2/22/2013 Recycled T-shirt Bags

t-shirt

First of all, I have to admit that this is not my original idea. I’ve seen many versions of this on Pinterest.    box pleat

But after going through the kids clothes and coming up with 2+ garbage bags full to pass along to a friend, it inspired me to keep a couple school shirts for this project.

This project couldn’t be an easier. I turned the shirt inside out then stitched the bottom closed.  Next was the box pleat to create a flat bottom. Basically you sew perpendicular to the bottom seam at each corner. You end up with a triangle of fabric that is not usable bag space. Gosh, I think I’m making that more complicated than it really is!! Here’s a link that shows the process if I just confused you.

Anyway…then I turned the shirt back right side out and cut off the sleeves and made a scoop cut at the neckline. No pattern just start cutting. We all know what a plastic handle bag from the grocery or discount store looks like….that’s what you are going for in shape.

All in all, not too shabby for a few minutes work. It saved a couple of shirts from the rag pile since  they’d likely never be worn again.

Little J claimed the lime green one as soon as she returned home. It was her shirt to begin with so now it will continue to serve her in a different capacity.

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Won’t you join me for

Second on the 2nd

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Old image, new page

I can’t even begin to count how many times I have used this particular image. When I was first learning how photoshop and my printer played together I inadvertently printed multiple copies of the same sheet of images…which happened to be all the same image. Since I don’t like to waste and printer ink costs a small fortune, I have become very fond of this odd foursome.foursome art journal page

I always wonder what the story is behind this photo. Siblings, extended family, sister wives? I decided to play on the latter with a bit of printed vellum.printed vellum loves me loves me not

The background of this page is simply a book page.  After adhering a piece of Tim Holtz tissue paper over the entire page, I added color with gelatos. I softened and blended the color with baby wipes.

More instances of this image:

 

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T Tuesday: adjusting edition

I’m sure most of you are in the same position we are here. Adjusting to the new normal. Everyone home trying to do school and work. We had a family meeting on Sunday to set some ground rules and expectations.

So far it’s just J that has specific class times. Mini-me and I are still on spring break. Next week will be an even bigger adjustment. Mini-me and I will most likely be in “distance learning” mode. She will have online classes and I will be…well they aren’t really sure what our role will be at this time. Perhaps making videos to support learning, reading, typing curriculum…what ever is needed really.STOP work in progress sign

I quickly whipped up a couple of these signs for when the kids are working in there bedrooms. It’s not pretty but it is effective.

Mr. G is still working but in a remote location for now. There are just two of them getting an industrial printer running. I think it’s only a matter of days before he’ll be working from home as well. casually bored Marvin

Marvin is confused. His routine of morning snack, morning nap, bird watching, more napping and so on is really getting messed up by his humans constantly going from room to room making noise.dried apples

All this time at home has had me using my dehydrator and even attempting to make hamburger buns. The key word there is attempting. They are a little dense…ok a lot dense. Not too bad cut in half and toasted though.

I’ve been doing a bit more journaling as well. Both just writing and art journaling. This writing journal sometimes gets a bit of both.

IMG_20200324_092636148

This page started as a mind dump. Grievances and complaints but then something shifted. Maybe it was because I was able to rid my mind of all the clutter and garbage floating around in there. I became more mindful of things to celebrate and be thankful for.

gratitude journalling

I continued onto the next page. I was able to go to bed and actually sleep after all of this. Perhaps this mind dump will become a habit that will help me be more mindful each day.coffee for two

Today has three of us home working on chores and little projects. Trying to stay active. Keeping physically distant from others while maintaining social connections.

T stands for Tuesday
What are you doing today?

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