The Wayward Gypsy

Z553 - Bonding Memories Glue Pen

Z2060 - Thin 3-D Foam Tape

18 November 2016

Paper Crafting Swappers November Cards

Since all of these have been received, I feel it's safe to post them here. Paper Crafting Swappers is a group on Facebook where we trade cards each month in up to 4 categories. You only have to make one of each and you get one of each in return. This is my first month participating, but my mother has been involved for ages.

Our first category was a Thanksgiving or Thank You card. I chose to do Thanksgiving because it's my favorite holiday. Not because of what created it, but what it's become... and opportunity for our nation to focus on what we have rather than what we don't. It's a time for family and friends and gratitude. I used the September Stamp of the month, Blessed Beyond Measure to create the pumpkin, leaves, and sentiments. Our Cricut Artbooking cartridge cuts out the pumpkin with leaves/stem and the different sized leaves. After I cut out and stamped the pumpkin and leaves I decided to "paint" with our wet brush and ink from the same stamp pads to deepen and spread the colors. And, of course, I had to add a bit of sparkle with our shimmer trim and gold sequins.

Second category was to create a Gift Card Holder. I had seen a video on YouTube for this pop up version and decided this was the perfect time to experiment with the technique. I had some scraps left over from the Oh Deer! paper pack and wanted to see if I could make them work for this. By adding some Sea Glass and Fern card stock, along with some shimmer trim and gold card stock, I got it done! The gold star was cut using a thin cut die and I fussy-cut the card stock base around it. The inside and outside sentiments were stamped in Chocolate ink and the inside was colored using our ShinHan touch twin markers.

Front with belly-band on

Front with belly-band removed

Inside

The third category for this swap was a Get Well or Breast Cancer Awareness card. I tried to make a get well card that would apply to anything, but still kept the Breast Cancer Awareness at the forefront. I used the Adventure Fundamentals paper pack for all the patterned paper, some twine from the Adventure ribbon pack, and some pink enamel gems. The sentiments are actually a peek at the December Stamp of the month, Thoughtful Flowers - but I thought they were perfect for this.

Front of card

Inside of card

The fourth and final category was Anything Goes. I didn't send this exact card for this swap, but I forgot to take a picture before I mailed it out. It was also a thank you card, so I figured a substitution wouldn't hurt here on the blog. Made this using the Uptown Fundamentals paper pack, black shimmer trim, gold sequins, and some scraps of black card stock. I love how it's so so so simple and quick to throw together, but it looks so upscale because of the gold-foiled vellum.

Thanks so much for reading this far! I hope you enjoyed the cards. If so, please click "follow" on the right so you don't miss any of my posts in the future. When I hit 10 followers, I plan on having a fun giveaway of Close To My Heart product.

Available Products:

Item # - Item Name (and link)

X7214B - Oh Deer! Paper Pack

Z3253 - Adventure Fundamentals Paper Pack

Z3263 - Uptown Fundamentals Paper Pack

X5643 - Chocolate Card stock

1272 - Cranberry Card stock

X5778 - Saffron Card Stock

X5777 - Fern Card Stock

X5789 - Sea Glass Card Stock

1386 - Black Card Stock

1385 - White Daisy Card Stock

Z3238 - Gold Glitter Paper

Z3261 - Star Thin Cuts

Z3169 - Cricut Artbooking Cartridge

Z2811 - Chocolate Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad

Z2816 - Cranberry Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad

Z2851 - Saffron Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad

Z2810 - Blossom Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad

Z3271 - Archival Black Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad

Z1985 - Gold Shimmer Trim

Z1809 - Black Shimmer Trim

Z3287 - Whimsy Ribbon Pack

Z2012 - Gold Sequins

Z3091 - Pink Enamel Gems

Z2454 - ShinHan Touch Twin Leaf Green

Z2454 - ShinHan Touch Twin Tender Pink

Z2456 - ShinHan Touch Twin Mahogany

Z3225 - Waterbrush - Medium Round

Z553 - Bonding Memories Glue Pen

Z2060 - Thin 3-D Foam Tape

16 November 2016

What's On Your Workdesk? Wedneday 389

Welcome to my desk on this beautiful Wednesday! I'm feeling much more upbeat and positive about life this week - I've been brainstorming and planning and I think I've set upon a course of action that will help me see the light in the darkness after last week's election debacle. It is up to me to be a catalyst for change, and the only way to make change is to DO something. So I'm going to become more of an activist for the things I am passionate about... Enough of serious topics! You're here to see my desk!

Finishing up my Holiday cards... all from one paper pack

So it's not as messy as some, but not nearly as tidy as last week. I really am lucky that I have the space and organizational talents I have... I've found that while I am in the act of creating, clutter is perfectly fine and unavoidable, but when I'm not currently creating anything, it just stresses me out and makes me less likely to get anything done. It's good to know ones self.

If you're curious about What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday, check out Julia's Stamping Ground for more information or to join in on the world-wide blog hop! It's fun to see other creative spaces every week!

I'm also starting to journal in a bullet journal, trying to track any number of things about myself in a way that I'm more likely to do than writing in a traditional journal. In my feeling of motivation to change things, I am starting first with myself - so there are habits and activities that I have chosen to work on. One of which, first and foremost, is taking care of myself. So many of us take care of everyone around us without a thought for improving ourselves or taking time for us. Or if we do, we feel guilty. Once I get the layouts I'm using finalized, I'll share some pictures of my journal... but if you want to know more in the meantime, check out my Pinterest Journal Board.

Off to read blogs and drink a cuppa. Have a great week, WOYWWers!

14 November 2016

More Christmas Cards?

If you remember my WOYWW post from a few weeks ago, I was working on some Holiday cards. I must say that I'm happy with how they turned out! They're unique and used techniques and thin cut dies that I've been wanting to play with.

The first card design was made by using our watercolor palette to "wash" different shades of blue onto our watercolor paper. This allowed me to make a gradient sky that doesn't look too flat. After the paint had dried completely, I used Slate ink to stamp the tree line on the background. This neutral backdrop allowed my tree to really stand out when I cut it out with the thin cut die and popped it up with foam tape. The sentiment is stamped in the same Fern green ink and matted with Sapphire card stock. Because I love sparkle, I had to add a sequin "star" to the tree and some rhinestone sparkles.

The second card came about as a way to use scraps. I had cut the winter out of our silver glitter card stock for another project and I couldn't just leave the negatives alone. Mounted the silver glitter on Sapphire card stock base with our dual action Bonding Memories Glue Pen and covered the raw edge with silver foil tape. The snowflakes were cut from white daisy card stock and glued down the same way. I LOVE how this glue pen can secure even the thinnest paper strips without leaking out the sides or getting messy. Finished off the snowflakes with a few rhinestone sparkles because, well, sparkle.

I'm really happy with how both card designs turned out and I got about 8 cards of each type out of the materials I had. And since the "winter" sentiments were technically scraps, I feel very thrifty. Please let me know what you think of the cards in the comments!

Available Products:

Item # - Item Name (and link)

Z4015 - Woodland Wishes Thin Cuts Bundle (stamps and thin cuts together)

Z4003 - Snowflakes thin cuts

Z4002 - Winter thin cuts

Z2850 - Fern Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad

Z2873 - Slate Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad

Z3132 - Watercolor Paints

X5775 - Sapphire Card Stock

Z3239 - Silver Glitter Paper

Z3146 - Watercolor paper

Z2012 - Gold Sequins

Z3274 - Clear Sparkles

Z1263 - Bitty Sparkles

Z3130 - Silver Foil Tape

Z553 - Bonding Memories Glue Pen

Z2060 - Thin 3-D Foam Tape

Z3188 - Paintbrush Set

10 November 2016

What's On Your Workdesk? Wedneday 388

So I know I'm running quite late for all of you in England… But it is still Wednesday here in California as I write this! I had a really hard time motivating today, because of the results of the American presidential election yesterday. I am stunned, blown away, disgusted, and quite frankly scared. But this too shall pass, and we will muddle through.

If you're curious about What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday (WOYWW), head over to Julia's Stamping Ground to look about and maybe think of joining us in our world-wide blog hop.

The desk

This is my work desk today, pretty pristine. I am working on some things that are secret projects, so unfortunately I can't show you work in progress. But, I did get a Close To My Heart shipment in today, so what is on my desk right now are display boxes and a chalkboard that will go with our Happy Happy Christmas Workshop kit that is on special this month. Also on my desk is the current Planners Gonna Plan bundle with the 2017 calendar. I actually filmed a video so people could see the inside and hear my review of the new album that holds it.

The cover of the Mini Album

Each month has a different design to color

Sorry I've missed a couple weeks, I'm hoping to get around to everyone's WOYWD posts this week. Have a great week!

19 October 2016

What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday #385

This week has been a busy one for me - between getting stuff done around the house and running errands, I feel like I haven't had much time to just sit down and make art. I have stolen moments here and there though... this is what my desk looks like this morning:

I'm still having fun creating holiday cards, but I've moved on from the kits and into doing my own thing this week. I've gotten to play with some new Close To My Heart dies and stamps and broke out my trusty watercolor palette. And see, not so tidy when it's not all laid out for me. 😉 Creative chaos reigns.

If you're curious to know more about What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday, head on over to Julia's Stamping Ground to learn all about it and to check out other desks from around the world

13 October 2016

Oh Deer!

Yesterday I gave a peek at my desk as I was just getting started on a new workshop from our Seasonal Expressions catalog called Oh Deer! This workshop was so fun to do that I finished it yesterday evening between cleaning house and cooking dinner.

I don't have many pictures at all from last winter, so these layouts are going to have to wait to be filled with pics from the coming season. I'm sure that with a new home and a new place there will be more than plenty of pictures taken! I'll update the pictures on the blog as I complete the layouts - but here they are sans pictures.

The Oh Deer! Workshop kit comes with all the paper and embellishments you need to complete three two-page layouts and two-page pocket layout (not shown). If you add the card bases and envelopes, there's more than enough paper to also do eight cards! The layouts don't require any stamping, but the cards do. The stamp set they recommend for this project is Season of Magic and I second that wholeheartedly! This set is so pretty! I've already got ideas for several other cards that will be coming shortly with this stamp set and paper combination.

Season of Magic My Acrylix Stamp Set

The workshop's all finished!

The cards

I love the simplicity of this one... and the pinecones on the paper are perfect.

My favorite! I deviated a little from the directions and added red berries.

These stars are actually made of wood!!

Available Products:

Item # - Item Name (and link)

G1116 - Workshops Your Way Oh Deer! Scrapbooking Kit

C1655 - Season of Magic My Acrylix Stamp Set

Z2811 - Chocolate Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad

Z2850 - Fern Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad

Z2816 - Cranberry Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad

Z2060 - Thin 3-D Foam Tape