Monday, March 11, 2024

MAKE IT-MAIL IT MONDAY - New Series

 Good morning, crafty friends!

No card today as I'm elbow deep in getting these stamp sets cataloged and in the new storage system before Bob comes home on Wednesday.

As I've told you, my #wordoftheyear is FINISH... I have a sterilite container in my studio full of envelopes containing remnants of Card Chick swaps.  

Here's the container of envelopes:


The dimensions and full info is in the video:


Every Monday I'll be showing a kit then the card/cards/ masterboard I've created. I have no clue what is left in each envelope. Going to be FUN!

Creative Blessings!
~ Kelly



Wednesday, March 6, 2024

WOYWW #770

 Good morning, crafty friends!

Will you look at that number! 770 weeks of coming together to say hello and show what we're working on.


My desk as I left it yesterday. All those pretty colors are book pages dyed with Easter Egg dye. 

I'd recorded a 58 minute tutorial video on Sunday forgetting that my phone and laptop will not talk to one another if the videos are longer than about 25 minutes. So instead of a premiere this past Monday, I'm having to do two separate videos showing the twenty different configurations making pockets for your junk journal from book pages. I'm uploading Part 1 now then will record Part 2 this afternoon for tomorrow. Friday premiere will be embellishments.

For those of you who guessed the number of stamp sets last week... are you ready for the answer?


Yep, you read that right. This doesn't count the handful I have from Spectrum Art Creations including three G45 sets. So probably 595 all total.

That's it for my desk (and story) this week. Who's Miss Julia and why am I here?  When you are done visiting me in the Ozarks, please hop on over to Stamping Ground for all the details. Miss Julia has a long list of other studios you can peek into. No standing on an up-turned milk pail to look in the window. We open the doors wide and welcome you.  Please leave your number and you'll be among the first on my list.

Creative Blessings!

~ Kelly





Tuesday, March 5, 2024

#TryItTuesday - Twist on a Gatefold Card

 Good morning, crafty friends!

Last week, I jumped into the hashtag, #TryItTuesday. Madi started doing it and I thought this what a great way to tag team... then she didn't do one last week! There are several creators using the hashtag, though, so do a search on social media to see what everyone is up to.

I needed a card for Madi's Spring challenge and one for my SMMR COTM group. 

I started with THIS <--- click  - video from Junebug Creations on YouTube. She need a simplified version of a gate-fold card. These go together really quick. You could use up patterned paper quickly doing Mass Makes - then just add the sentiment as needed.

First, the stamp set I used:

I've had this set about 10 years or more. If you recognize the company, please let me know. 

Then I chose this 6x6 paper pad a friend gifted me last fall:


Apologies for the glare. Overcast here yesterday morning meant I had to use all the lights. There isn't a company name on the pad and the papers are one-sided.

This is the card I made:


One of the things the gal from Junebug did was when she cut her DSP, there was a strip left, just enough to decorate the envelope. (since there technically isn't an 'inside' to this card.

Using the same concept, I made this card for the Spring Challenge in the Spectrum Art Creations & Friends Facebook Group:


I used paper and journaling card from Graphic 45 Fairy Wings, blue braid trim, butterfly from trim and Sunburst stickles. For each challenge item we must use at least 3 items from our SpectrumArtCreations purchases. 

If you want to see how this came together, along with another card I made and the measurements, check out the video below.


Creative Blessings!
~Kelly





Monday, March 4, 2024

MAKE IT - MAIL IT MONDAY! - Catching Up On Cards

 Good morning, creative friends!

NOTE: I had this drafted to post February 26th but it never posted so I'm ahead of the game this week! LOL

I finally feel as if I'm back on track. You know, because we're almost through the first two months of the year!

My first goal was to get caught up on swap cards for the Missouri Stamp Group I belong to. I'm determined to stay on track this year. I was behind on December, January then this month so I have three cards to show you today.

All of the cards used the same technique: stenciling with my new 5x7 Geli plate. I don't remember who's video I first saw the idea but she was using her geli plate to HOLD her papers in place while she worked with them, NOT as a base for applying ink or paint. When I saw the video I immediately went in and ordered the 5x7 from Spectrum Art Creations. Keep in mind, I have a large one that hardly ever sees the light of day... twice, maybe, since I bought it almost 12 years ago. 


Click HERE to purchase

All three stencils were purchased from Spectrum Art Creations. If they are still available, I will link them beneath the photo.

All the sentiments were from Tim Holtz - Noteworthy

You will find the video where I showed how I applied the backgrounds to all three cards HERE.
I started with the December card:


I started with a Real Red card base and mat for the sentiment. I used Real Red ink and a stencil from Ciao Bella.  I thought the image resembled a poinsettia.

For the January card, I went with a winter theme.


This was also a Ciao Bella stencil called Fluid Art. I used Uncharted Mariner ink, Seas Side Spray cardstock (SU retired) and a dual punch from SU (also retired)

Now that I'm caught up, here is the February Card of the Month (COTM):


I used a Powder Pink card base (retired Stampin' Up!), Picked Strawberry Distress Ink and a floral stencil from Spectrum Art Creations (Their own design). The heart is from the dual heart punch set from Stampin' Up!

I have all of my posts and videos for the rest of this month and into March as I get back on a posting track. The second and fourth Tuesday of each month I'll be taking part in #tryittuesday. I have the video uploading now to show you a tag book I created for the Spectrum Art Creations and Friends FB group - winter themed challenge. I'll drop the video link in here tomorrow morning.

Creative Blessings!
~ Kelly







Wednesday, February 28, 2024

WOYWW #769 - Photo Heavy

 Good morning, crafty friends.

If you recall from my WOYWW #767 Post, I talked about the program I'm taking called Your Path Forward... a game board strategy for getting big projects out of the way. 

Before Bob left last week, he helped me set up the two tables I needed to begin the project.

Monday, I dove in to the first actual step... sorting the gazillion stamp sets into categories.


The following photos are NOT for the faint at heart but it's why I've started this program.

I've had most of my stamps in a tub since I rearranged the filming corner 2 years ago. Since then I've also added new stamp sets that were available for a limited time through Stampin' Up!  This is where I am:
lined up in front of the sofa

on the sewing table and in 2 cubbies behind

on the step ladder
(i'd moved them from the sewing table looking for a stamp set)

After 2 hours of sorting by category, 37 photo boxes and 6 stacks later, this is where I stopped:


Alpha numeric, celebration, mixed media, mixed holidays, ocean/ water


4 stack collection top left is all Christmas. Then there's food, garden (the 2 towering stacks plus smaller one to the right, Halloween, mixed holidays

Large multi-stack of sentiments are on a table all on their own. 

Stamp set count: .....

PLEASE LEAVE YOUR GUESS IN YOUR COMMENT. 

That's it for my desk (and story) this week. Who's Miss Julia and why am I here?  When you are done visiting me in the Ozarks, please hop on over to Stamping Ground for all the details. Miss Julia has a long list of other studios you can peek into. No standing on an up-turned milk pail to look in the window. We open the doors wide and welcome you.  Please leave your number and you'll be among the first on my list.

 

Creative Blessings!

~ Kelly







via GIPHY

Wednesday, February 21, 2024

WOYWW #768

Good morning, crafty friends.

I'm on a slow start this morning. Bob left yesterday so I'm back to my personal schedule.

I have two desk pictures this morning.

First, my actual desk:


Apparently, I held the camera wrong this morning. LOL. But, as you can see not a lot going on. But that will change once I've finished my coffee. I have a video to record for Friday.

Here's the 'staged' version.


This is the chair at my filming table. I have the three projects for the video staged on the chair so I can reach back to grab the stack I need for each project. 

Friday will be Part 2 of last week's video on using the 5x7 gelli plate. I'm LOVING this smaller size. I see more play in my future than the larger one I've had for at least 14 years and used twice!  TWICE!

That's it for my desk (and story) this week. Who's Miss Julia and why am I here?  When you are done visiting me in the Ozarks, please hop on over to Stamping Ground turned milk pail to look in the window. We open the doors wide and welcome you.  Please leave your number and you'll be among the first on my list.

Creative Blessings!

~ Kelly






















Wednesday, February 14, 2024

WOYWW #767

Good morning, crafty friends!

Happy Valentine's Day! 

We have sunshine this morning, the snow from Monday is nearly gone and Bob is home for this special day. I am making him butter brickle brownies in a heart pan later this morning and he is taking me out for all you can eat crab legs! He knows my passion lol

Here's my desk this morning:


I took a course a couple of weeks ago called 'Your Path Forward'. The concept is built on a game board strategy of choosing one project you want to accomplish, then breaking the big picture down into small steps that create a 'domino effect' - meaning you can't do this step until you do this step.... and so on. What steps need to be taken to get from Point A - The Beginning to Point B - The Finish? 

I created a game board on an 11 x 14 canvas using the game board from the workbook as a template. The inspirational sayings in each square are from the Tim Holtz set - Noteworthy. I simply typed them into my word program, sized to fit inside the game board squares then printed on clear sticker paper. 

I've put the steps I need (one for each square on the board) onto sticky notes and have them on my KanBan board. The game board is a colorful visual for my desk.

I'm uploading a video for this now and will be on my AUTHOR YouTube channel about noon CST US. 

If you have a project you can't seem to start, I highly recommend this course. You can use the concept over and over again so it isn't just a one and done kind of course. 

That's it for my desk (and story) this week. Who's Miss Julia and why am I here?  When you are done visiting me in the Ozarks, please hop on over to Stamping Ground for all the details. Miss Julia has a long list of other studios you can peek into. No standing on an up-turned milk pail to look in the window. We open the doors wide and welcome you.  Please leave your number and you'll be among the first on my list.

 Creative Blessings!

~ Kelly