I wanted to make a card for our great niece and a friend, but the card for my friend was on a memory card that disappeared, so I apologize, that card won’t be on video. The card base is 8 1/2″ x 5 1/2″ scored at 4 1/4″ so the card is an A2 size card. I used 140 lb hot press watercolor paper for the hippo that is from Inky Antics in a set called Water Animals. I used a variety of watercolor pencils, all were brands I really like and detailed them in the video. I use a blender pen from Stampin’ Up to wet my watercolors. I cut out my hippo and adhered it to the inside of the card. I didn’t like the water, so cut it off. I used a black Sharpie and went around the edges of the hippo before adhering it, so that the sides of the thick paper can’t be seen.

I took my card base and started about one third from the top, and tore it toward me angling it down so that one side is longer than the other. I cut a piece of paper that matched the purple card base and lined it with another piece of paper that was 5 1/2 x 4 1/4 and adhered it to the top front of the card.
I put the sentiment “Hippo birthday to you” inside the card and attached the hippo beside the sentiment and added some music notes that came in the hippo set. I used black detail embossing powder and heat set it for the sentiment. I took a 1/4″ strip of paper that matches the polka dot paper on the front of the card and attached it inside the card on the bottom, laying it over a matching glitter washi tape. I used a white washi tape for the outside of my envelope and used a stamp I had made from DiscountRubberStamps.com. I paid $4.95 for the stamp and designed it and chose my own font. You are welcome to make one just like it if you want.

I had a serious crafting urge today and went a little crazy.  I love making those little notebooks covered with pretty papers.  So I thought, why not combine a technique and make the covered notebook at the same time.  So I used JM’s new easy ombre ink technique to make the designer style paper for the top layer and covered a small note book.  I think the end result is pretty cute and hope to hear what others think about using a card technique and using it for something else.  I stamped and embossed some other sentiments and plan on using another technique to make the sentiments look like they are in an evening sky.  I’m not sure how they will turn out, but I’m going to layer them on a small legal pad and make it another card technique turned into something else.  I really like this idea, because it’s giving me more ideas of what to make in addition to cards, but still using the card techniques I’m learning along the way.

I have to say that the cards I made with the watercolor technique were OK when I was done with them and then when I added Glossy Accents to them, they really came alive.  I think I need to try more ideas like this as I just bought some bottles of Nuvo and think they should be a lot of fun to use.

My immediate plan for tomorrow though, is to make a card with some Stampendous hummingbird stamps that I really loved the huge flower on.  I made a deal with my friend Elishia, that we would both make a card using the same stamp set and both put them up on our sites the same day.  She made her card already and even though I agreed on the date we would make them, my mind completely blanked on it, and I forgot to make my card.  Tomorrow is definitely the day though, because I hate to make a promise and not follow through.  We already made a video making cards using the jukebox stamp, and you should check her card out at WanderingDreamer555.  She’s a talented card maker with the best craft room tour (besides J.M.’s).  Her craft room tour video is well worth watching..

 

This card started out as one where I was using a JM technique called ink layering using pigment ink on the bottom and dye ink on top.  After a lot of soul searching, I added an easy way to add foil on to the card as well.

Using a large background stamp, mine was from Stampin’ Up called Linograph and I inked it with Unicorn White Hero Arts  ink over it and laid a piece of white card stock (up to 110 pound) and rubbed it to ensure the ink transfers.  I heat set the ink as it doesn’t dry well without it.  The card stock was 5 1/2 x 4 1/4″ to begin with and I cut it down to 5 x 3 3/4″.

The stamps I used were from Hero Arts one called Little Greeting Background, Background 4 and Shadow Stamp 3, and I took them off their wood blocks. I also used a Stampin’ Up set called Perfectly Plaid and took one stamp off of it’s wood backing.

I stamped the different bar stamps using the MISTI to run the short stamps across the length of my card.  I measured the distance I needed for my sentiment and left that distance between the thinner bars and then stamped the thicker bar on the top and bottom so I would know exactly how much space I had left for the boxes.  I stamped the boxes in two different colors and stamped the two sides first, then stamped the center box.  I had stamped the thin bars in Melon Mambo by Stampin’ Up and I had made a glittery embossing powder with Melon Mambo on a previous video, so I attached that video to this one so you know how to make glittery embossing powder, and used the leftover embossing powder for the sentiment on this project.  The sentiment came from Paper Smooches Bold Buzzwords.  I made a reverse mask and laid it over the box stamps and rubbed lightly with a baby wipe to reveal the white ink pattern underneath.  I did the same with the rows of stamps and just laid post-it-notes on either side of each row and again, rubbed it lightly with a baby wipe.
I added two more rows of thin stamps and added Deco Foil called Opal and using 1/8″ thick tear tape, attached rows of the foil along the rows I stamped on the card.  I removed the backing to the tear tape and rubbed the opal Deco Foil on it and then removed it.  Make sure you really rub the foil and it sticks well once you do.
I added foam tape to the back of the card front and then added a pink piece that was 5 1/4″ x 4″ and then used snail adhesive to attach it to the white backing that was 5 1/2″ x 4 1/4″

I bought the stamps from a company called Discount Rubber Stamps at http://www.discountrubberstamps.com.  I only paid $4.95 for mine and picked my sentiment and my font and designed them myself. You’re more than welcome to use my stamp ideas as your own.  I think they are a lot of fun and I’m making another stamp from another company and you’ll see it as soon as it comes in.

I decided to start very slowly trying some water coloring techniques that Lindsay showed on her channel.  I’ve been wondering if it would be hard for me to hold the brush in the upright position and it’s not at first, but then my wrist gets tired and I start getting sloppy.  It didn’t stop me from making the card, actually cards, though.

You know how I’m a little bit dingy?  Well today was no exception.  I have this beautiful background stamp and I thought it would be perfect with gold glitter embossing powder so I bought a bottle.  I know it was embossing powder, because I  was at a store searching through the embossing powders to find the exact kind I wanted.  I bought it specifically for this background stamp as I knew it would be lovely using gold glittery embossing powder and then water coloring the rest of the stamp.  So I put the Versamark ink all over the stamp and stamp watercolor paper with it.  I dump the glittery embossing powder all over it and it’s messy, but of course you would expect glittery embossing powder to be messy.  Here comes the problem.  It would not heat set.  I mean, would not.  So I think there must be something wrong with it, but don’t really know what it could be.  So I start over, second verse, same as the first.  Exact same results, only this time, the paper is starting to discolor like it might catch on fire.  I decide maybe I should heat set it from the front.  The heat gun started blowing embossing powder (I mean glitter), everywhere, and there’s virtually none left on the card.  How could this happen?  So I look at the bottle and it’s not embossing powder, it’s glitter.  The only thing that makes sense is that someone picked up a bottle of glitter and put it back with the embossing powders and I didn’t check because every other bottle in the area I was in, was embossing powder.

I blew glitter all over me, all over the floor, my desk, everywhere.  As if I’m not a big enough sloppy crafter to begin with, this definitely didn’t help the cause.  After I got over my frustration, things went smoothly, although I am the worlds’ slowest water colorist.  Rich is going to need to fast forward, cut things out, and the video could still be an hour long.  No, it won’t be an hour long, but it did take forever to make these cards.  I think they came out pretty great for my first attempt at water coloring.  I’ll let you be the judge though.

I’ve made this style card before and when I was making the card using Jennifer’s technique, I thought I would show my technique as it’s less messy and I hope to give you alternatives if you don’t have some of the supplies.
Start with a 4 1/4″ x 11″ white card stock scored at 5 1/2″.  If you don’t have glitter paper, you can make your own glitter paper two different ways.  One way is to buy embossing powder that has glitter in it and the other way is to take embossing powder (I’m using Melon Mambo from Stampin’ Up) and I put Dazzling Diamonds glitter from Stampin’ Up into the Melon Mambo and created my own glittery embossing powder.  I took a piece of white cardstock and pressed Versamark ink into the paper until it’s covered then I took glittery clear embossing powder and covered my paper with it then heat set it.  I did the same with a pink piece of cardstock and covered it with Versamark and then used the Melon Mambo glitter embossing powder and heat set the paper.  You only need to do that step if you don’t have any paper with glitter on it and I wanted to show you how to make your own.

After your papers are embossed and heated, use your paper trimmer and cut long thin triangles and do this with all the colors of paper you have.

I used a glue stick to adhere my paper, but you can use whatever kind of glue you prefer.  The first thing you want to do, is to decide where you want your center of your sunburst to be and place one of your triangles so the point of it is where you want your center to be.  After the first paper, determine the sequence of colors you want your papers to be applied in.  and start laying them down..If your glue starts to dry, apply more.  Don’t worry if your center point moves as you apply your triangles as the sentiment will cover the center of your card.  Once all of your card is covered, let it dry a little bit, and cut from the back to the  shape of the card.  I used a large 2 1/2″  oval punch and a hello sentiment from Paper Smooches Bold Buzz Words.  I used the Marvy embossing markers to go around the edge of my oval punch and then put the melon mambo embossing powder on the sentiment and around the edge and heat set it.  I put dimensionals under the sentiment and adhered it to the center of my card.  I used silver washi tape and put that on my envelope.  My card is similar to Jennifer’s in looks, but I didn’t have any glitter clean up with this technique.  I hope you liked both of them.

I have to say today was not the world’s best card making day.  I thought about trying a new technique and almost caught some paper on fire with my heating tool.  I probably should have stopped there, but continued on with my paper and it’s scorched surface.  I really wanted to make the technique work, but in the end, I think we’re going to call this one not suitable for video.  Or for that matter, anything else.

I do have a really great idea for a video but wanted to try today’s technique first.  Why do we always think the hard idea is actually the easier one?  I should have known that I couldn’t do justice to this idea, but instead, just made it worse.

Rich is putting up the video of the thank you card I made yesterday, and it has so many fun techniques, I can’t wait to hear what everyone has to say about it.  I’m really pretty happy with the results.  I promise that tomorrow I’m going to scrap today’s plan and work on the technique I should have done today.  Frankly, I took too long with the first technique and now I’m too tired to try something else.  Tomorrow is a whole new day.

I’m not sure why I’m so crazy when I’m crafting, but today was no exception.  I thought I’d make an ink layering card and wanted to make a mask of one of the stamps.  I made the mask and immediately lost the red rubber stamp I had used to make it with.  Forty-five minutes searching, and looking at the three stamps on my desk (that I had looked at many times before) and I realized that the smallest one was the one I made the mask of, and I had just wasted forty five minutes looking for it.  Does that happen to you?  I feel so foolish and yet, it’s so me, how can I be mad about it?  I can lose something faster than anyone and most of the time I never find it again.

This card looked like it was definitely headed for the garbage can.  Not just once, many times.  I couldn’t stamp the lines straight, I cut the paper sizes wrong, and in general, it just wasn’t working for me.  In the end, I used so many techniques, a new crafter could almost  learn how to make anything after watching this video. I was laughing and trying to negotiate with myself about whether or not to throw it out, because it just was one of those cards.  It’s a thank you card and if anyone ever realized that I had spent four hours making it, they probably would never believe it.  In the end I’m actually proud of it and think it’s a pretty interesting card.  It does combine a lot of techniques, but not in a tacky way (in my opinion.)  I’m looking forward to hearing what others think about it, as it tells it’s own story of perseverance and the commitment to finishing something that you really didn’t think was worth it.  Let me know if you think I should have put it in the trash.  Rich should have it uploaded tomorrow and then we’ll all get a big laugh out of it.

I wanted to make cards that showed a couple of techniques, one that is J. McGuire’s and one that is mine.

I started by stamping with a Concord & 9th “Love You, Mean It” stamp set for my sentiments and used Versamark ink on it and then used Stamp n’ Stuff silver embossing powder (that was kind of old and still worked, yay!)    I heat set them and set them aside for later.

To make the card, I used an 11″ x 4 1/4″ piece of white cardstock scored at 5 1/2″ and added a layer of silver paper  that is 5 1/4″ x 4″ and had used it for some circle punches, but since I’m putting another layer over it, it shouldn’t make a difference in the card. My last layer of white card stock was 110 lb. white Recollections but you can use any weight card stock as long as you don’t cut through it when we do our next technique.  I used a sticky paper made to put glitter on and attached it to my white paper with tear tape that was 5″ x 3 3/4″ and used my Xacto knife to cut a sunburst effect by cutting only through the backing paper and not through the white card stock underneath.  Once I had cut through the papers, I removed every other paper backing and used red fine Martha Stewart glitter on the pieces  where I had removed the backing.  I used my finger to rub it in really well and then went over it again with my bone folder to ensure the glitter wouldn’t be loose.  I used a coffee filter to catch the excess glitter.  Once I was sure the red glitter was really well adhered, I removed the rest of the backing to the sticky paper and used a silver Martha Stewart fine glitter on those pieces and rubbed them as I did with the red glitter.  To clean everything, I used a Swiffer duster to pick up the glitter as well as the coffee filter that held the excess glitter until I needed to pour it back in the containers.
I decided my sentiment would look great if I punched it with a label punch (that I can’t remember the name of), and ran my glue stick around the edge and the dipped it into the silver glitter.  I used my Xacto knife to remove any glitter that ended up where I didn’t like it. I put foam tape on the back of my sentiment and put it in the center of the card. I added silver washi tape to my envelope and my card was complete.   I’m making another version using a different technique and thought I could make it on the same video, but am separating it into a second video so that this video wasn’t too long.  I hope you enjoyed this video and you can always check out Jennifer McGuire’s series of Sparkle and Shine Cards.

 

I know I made three resolutions this year and I really wanted to live up to them, but I’m starting to rethink them.  If you didn’t read that blog post or you don’t remember, they were as follows:

1. Have 3,000 subscribers by the end of 2017
2. Become Jennifer McGuire—well not become her, but learn a lot of her techniques so I feel more comfortable in her style of card making
3. Use the Vagabond

I have not decided to change my Vagabond commitment and today is the day that I’m going to start using it.  I even have a plan for the project that I’m going to use it on.  I think I’m just lazy and don’t feel like moving everything on my desk, figuring out the platforms to use and then use it, fold it back up, put everything back where I got it, and finally, use whatever I just made.  I make it sound like I’m building a bridge or learning how to split DNA.  It’s just a die cutting machine, for heaven sake.  Regardless, today is the day.

I have re-thought becoming Jennifer McGuire as Lindsay is my first mentor in crafting and I really want to broaden my crafting experience.  I emailed her and asked about her recommendation for a first attempt to learn how to watercolor and she graciously and almost immediately, sent me a video of hers of birch trees that looked easy when she did it, but will probably scare me to death (or make me vomit from fear.)  I also really want to learn to make jewelry, and Lindsay has so many videos on jewelry, I’d be foolish not to learn from those techniques.  And I love her as a YouTuber, she makes me feel relaxed when I watch her and I definitely need to be more relaxed.  I’m not giving up on learning Jennifer McGuire’s techniques, but card making is only one aspect of a well rounded crafter and as much as I’ve enjoyed learning some of her techniques, I really want to learn more crafts and hopefully they are ones you’ll want to learn as well.

So a very long story short, I’m going to change that resolution to becoming a more diverse crafter.  Learn more, share more, be the ball.  I’m not sure where that saying originated, I just thought it was funny, so I threw it in.  I’m also wondering if there is a time limit on reassessing resolutions.  If so, maybe I’ll make them a Lenten promise.  I’m not sure if that works here either, but regardless, I’m adjusting my resolutions.

The number of subscribers I get this year really will depend on the quality of content and the number of people who share my channel with others.  I feel comfortable with 3,000 and hope it will continue to grow and surpass 3,000, but you never know.

I never realized how much work resolutions could be, but I’m re-committing to my resolutions and hope you’ll hang in there with me as we craft through 2017.  I’m still having a lot of fun and hope you are as well.

If you have any ideas you’d like me to cover for any videos, please email me at saundralparker@yahoo.com and I’ll try to accommodate your request.  Let’s face it, I will definitely give it my all, and hopefully make it happen.

I remade the videos that were lost on the memory card that flew into another dimension and I’m asking myself, what other YouTubers lose as many videos as I do and from such freak circumstances?  Rich actually tried to recreate this event by standing where I stood and attempting to shoot the card out of the camera, and he couldn’t do it.  He said he had no idea it was even possible to do, so of course, I had to demonstrate, and I did.  It only took one try for me to (this is from my point of view, naturally,) push down gently on the memory card, and have it shoot out of the camera like a projectile.  I’m not exaggerating when I say that it probably flew four to five feet and landed somewhere (I now believe), behind my desk.  This isn’t just a desk.  It encompasses two walls and is bolded together.  I’ve even tried to make sure that nothing can fall behind it, because if it does, you’ll never be able to retrieve it. In the end, I think the memory card now lives behind that desk with, I’m sure a few hundred other important items.

It’s frustrating when I lose a card, but I almost expect to do it because I’ve lost so many.  At least the videos on it weren’t ones I couldn’t recreate, like the baby shower invitations that were adorable on the card that left the building.  Or the Mediterranean vacation photos that I luckily had just finished making a photo book through an online company, handed the card to Rich downstairs, and by the time he got upstairs, it was gone.  It had over eight hundred photographs on it, and I have to say, I did cry about that one since the book I made probably had only sixty of my favorite photos in it.  Of course there are the times when Rich says he deleted part of a video, or I delete part of a video, it just seems to happen.

Is there a curse for losing memory cards, because if there is, I’m definitely cursed.  I wish I could remember all the other things that have happened to some of our memory cards, but there are too many and it might throw me into a fit of depression.  Oh, who am I kidding, other than the time lost in looking for them and recreating the videos, it’s pretty much business as usual when videos disappear.  Such is the life of a YouTuber with serious memory card issues.  Another day, another order to Amazon for new memory cards.