Last night we got the call we’ve been dreading.  Our college friend who has been battling brain cancer for the last two plus years has passed away.  It’s been a really hard year for us as I lost two old co-workers, and by old, I mean I worked with them when I was still working many years ago.  One was in her forties and the other just turned fifty and has a six year old daughter and eleven year old son.  One had brain cancer and just had her first granddaughter last year.

Our friend we lost last night has been in our lives since the late 1970’s and was one of the nicest people you’d ever want to meet.  He was fun and funny and we’ll miss him greatly.  He has four grown children and just had his second grand baby.

I realize getting older you start to lose friends, but it just seemed like 2016 was a year for “thinking of you” cards.  I sent so many cards in the hopes that they would know that although they were out of our sight, they were not forgotten.  We visited them as often as we could and hoped against hope that one of our friends would find a miracle along the way.

We had lunch with another couple that also went to college with us and we reminisced about our time with our friend and how much he will be missed.  Life is too short and seemingly unfair at times.  I’m hoping that we will get a reprieve in the need to send cards when there’s very little hope and instead, send cards to let others know how much we love them filled with hope and happiness.  I’m praying that 2017 will be that kind of year for all of us.

My friend Elishia and I both own the same stamp and we talked about both of us doing a card with it at the same time and videotaping our results.  Here is the link to take you to her card.
Her YouTube name is WanderingDreamer555 and the link to the video is:

The stamp I purchased at a stamp show from a booth for Lost Coast Designs that’s also known as Carmen’s Veranda.  The stamp is a juke box.
You need to use a stamp positioner like a MISTI for this technique.  I used a hybrid ink that would work with the alcohol markers we’ll be using and it needs to be a light color ink.  You’ll stamp the paper with the hybrid ink and light enough that you can see the outline of the stamp, the inside lines don’t matter.  After you have stamped it with the hybrid ink, you’ll want to color outside of the image (up to the lines but not inside them) I colored with my lightest alcohol marker closest to the juke box and darker as I colored toward the edges of the paper.  I used Bic Mark its and a Spectrum Noir marker.  I also used a colorless blender to help blend my colors.  You don’t want to color a lot with one marker at a time, as it will make it almost impossible to blend the three colors.  After I colored the entire paper which was 5 1/2″ x 4 1/4″, I heated it to make sure it was dry. I then put the paper back into the MISTI in the exact same spot and used my anti static pouch of corn starch on it.  Then I stamped the image with Versamark and used a Stamp n Stuff Sterling Silver embossing powder on it.  I made sure there were no stray powder flakes and then heat set the image.    I used the markers to touch up the outline and make sure my blending looked as good as possible.  Reds and oranges are kind of hard to blend well, but I think they came out ok.
I had a stamp in my stash of music notes and I put it on the top left of my image and silver embossed it there.  I used silver mirror paper and used white embossing powder and stamped “Just a Note” on the mirror paper and cut the edge into a V shape and put foam tape under it and put it near the center but edge of the card.
I did layer the card on white card stock that was 5 1/2″ x 4 1/4″ and cut the silver mirror layer to 5 3/8 x 4 1/8″ and then cut the juke box layer to 5 1/4″ x 4″ and attached everything with tape runner.  I stamped the back with “I made this for you” and put silver washi tape on the flap of the envelope.  I liked my card and it’s so different from Elishia’s, and both are great.  I liked this technique of Jennifer’s and here is the link to Jennifer’s card.

 

 

My series of videos on becoming Jennifer McGuire have really been going over well and I’m happy that they are.  I wanted to learn different techniques and create cards that are sophisticated and striking, and I believe that I am.

I’ve been overwhelmed by how many views these videos are getting and how quickly my subscriber numbers are growing.  I’ve never really talked about the purpose of growing my channel, so I thought I would take a moment to do so.  Some of you might think this is too personal, but I like to be completely honest, so I’m sharing probably more than you might want to know.

It’s difficult to grow a YouTube channel when the only thing the viewer sees are my hands.  I’m not ashamed of them, as I’ve said many times, but they are sometimes off-putting to people.  In today’s society, perfection is the end-all, be-all for people.  They want to see beautiful people on their television screens and on their YouTube channels.  They look for perfectly manicured hands when they watch commercials about hand cream or videos that are crafty in nature.  I understand that, and it makes growing my channel a challenge.

To find new subscribers that actually watch my videos is my goal.  I’m not looking to increase subscription numbers to get advertising, as I have no plans to earn any money from this venture.  In fact if I do earn money, I am penalized by the company that pays my disability insurance.  So when I say I am not looking to earn money, I truly mean that.  I am looking to increase my subscribers because it is really difficult to find the people who could benefit from my channel.  I’ve tried contacting a lot of organizations who help people with physical limitations, including the Arthritis Foundation, and I have yet to receive a response from anyone. I thought if I explained my channel, maybe the Arthritis Foundation would mention it in a newsletter or even include it on their webpage.  Their organization is almost impossible to access by telephone, believe me, I’ve tried. And this is the organization that is the advocate for my disease.

So how do you grow a YouTube channel when you can’t get access to the people that would benefit from it?  That’s been my challenge.  Oddly enough, “becoming Jennifer McGuire” has grown my channel faster than anything else I have done to date.  I’m really proud of that because although I am using her techniques, I am not changing my format or my style in order to grow my viewership.  Almost every day since I started this endeavor, I’ve gotten comments from new subscribers who have physical limitations.  They are so excited to find my channel as they never knew it was there and although they love Jennifer, they can relate to me.  I can’t even begin to tell you how happy that makes me.

I’ll continue to ask for subscribers to tell one person about my channel at the end of every video, because I’m not sure what else to do to ensure that subscribers are coming and staying for the right reason.  If you like a video and tell one person and they tell one person, think how quickly the channel can grow.  And how many of these people are unaware that there is a YouTube channel tailored to their specific needs.  I know if I had one friend tell me about a YouTube channel like mine, I would have been thrilled, because we need a voice that gives us ideas, tools and most importantly hope, that we can do the same things Jennifer McGuire can do.

I had a big crafty day today and feel pretty good about my Jennifer McGuire transformation.  So far I’ve only made one card that I pretty much hate, so I’m wavering on whether or not to put it online.  I think it’s best to discard a video when it’s ugly and this really strikes me as ugly.  I’ve sent it out to a friend to give me her honest opinion and once I get that, I’ll know whether or not to delete the video.

I don’t feel bad about deleting a video if the results are horrible, but on the other hand, how will others learn what not to do  if I don’t show them my horrible mess.  It’s a definite dilemma.

The card I made tonight was based around a juke box stamp that I loved and haven’t used yet.  My cousin had asked me to do a video using the stamp and I just haven’t made it.  I was talking with my friend Elishia, and she has the juke box stamp and just started her own YouTube channel, so we decided we would both use the stamp and see what we each come up with for the video.  I’m excited to see what she will produce as she is very talented and not just using someone else’s techniques like I am.

I also uploaded the flamingo card and absolutely love it and hope the viewers do as well.  It’s colorful and has a lot of cool techniques associated with making it.  I really like it and it might be one of my favorites.  I finished two other videos, one is a haul and I can’t remember what the other one is.  Geez, I’m getting old and senile.

I wanted to use Jennifer McGuire’s Starry Night Distress Ink technique, but wanted to make my card a day sky instead of a night sky.  Here is the link to Jennifer’s video.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYAWJ4e31iI

I used stamps that I had in my stash that did not have the maker information on them.  I used flamingos wearing flip flops and a grassy knoll stamp as well as my sentiment.  I used Tim Holtz watercolor paper and stamped the flamingoes with Versafine Onyx Black Ink and created a mask of their feet and their lower legs by stamping the flamingos on post-it-note paper then cutting out the part of the stamp I want to cover.  I used Marvy Embossing Markers to paint my images and then used Ranger clear embossing powder and heat set them.  I put the mask on their feet and stamped the grassy knoll with different colors of the markers on them and then put the clear embossing powder on the knoll and heat set that as well.  Once that was done I used different colors of Distress ink to create water, sand and a day sky with the sun in the top left corner.  For sand I used Old Paper and then in the water and sky, I used Tumbled Glass and Peacock Feathers.  I used Mustard Seed for the sun.   I used the small Distress ink holders and just rubbed them on my card.  After that I sprayed the image with water with white mica in it.  The mica I used is from eye shadow from L A Colors eye shadow from the Dollar Tree.  Put a small amount in a spray bottle with either water or alcohol.  I put a small amount in the bottle and twirl it like a bell instead of shaking it or you will clog your sprayer.   I sprayed the whole background from about 1 foot away and dabbed off any excess blobs of mica.

I put the sentiment in black on a pink background and then put clear embossing over it and heat set it. I punched the sentiment out with a hexagon punch and put the sentiment on a line that I ran across the top of the card. I cut the watercolor paper to 5 x 3 3/4″ and then put it on a craft colored background that is 5 1/4 x 4″ and then put it on a white card stock that is 5 1/2″ x 4 1/4″. I put matching washi tape on the back of the envelope.

I made two orders from the Peg Stamp company and was really excited when they came.  I didn’t open the first one immediately, as I knew I would be getting the second order and wanted to open them, do a haul and make a card with everything I had purchased.  Unfortunately, the first envelope disappeared.  I mean gone. I know it’s in the house somewhere, but where did I put it.  I’m sure it’s somewhere “safe.” but I spent most of this afternoon searching for the bag and still no sign of it.
If I have to resort to cleaning my craft room, you know I’m serious about finding something.  I’m not sure about the rest of you, but I’ll bet Jennifer McGuire has never lost a stamp order, or anything else for that matter.  I picture her having an ‘in” basket for all incoming mail.  Next, there is a person assigned to opening the mail, sorting it into categories, labeling it, photographing it and putting the photograph into her own Jennifer McGuire Dewey decimal system.  She’s one super organized woman and when I watch a tour of her craft room, I get the feeling that somehow I just saw a glimpse of perfection, something I will never be able to replicate, and like the sun, so bright it could damage my eyes..
It’s like a photograph that’s been photo-shopped.  Can anything really be that perfect or maintained at that level of perfection?  I’m not sure, I just know that my craft room has some serious issues, namely I think it ate the package from the peg stamp company.  That darn craft room.

I have one last thought completed unrelated to my craft room.  If I make a card using one of Jennifer McGuire’s techniques and the card isn’t really up to her caliber, do I still show the video, or do I junk it?  I know she would never show the video, but if I am being honest with myself, I realize I’m no Jennifer McGuire, so shouldn’t I show my card, flaws and all?  It’s not really flawed, it’s just not attractive in my opinion.  I guess I’ll have Rich put it up and see what people think.  I’ll probably regret it, as this isn’t something to be proud of producing.

It’s been fun trying to find new techniques while becoming Jennifer McGuire. The latest has been using Distress Inks and making a “starry sky.”  While I appreciate the fact that a starry sky looks best at night, it was more fun for me to make it a day time sunlit sky with an ocean theme.  I know this isn’t really the best time of year to produce a card of this nature, but I liked the idea of a theme that doesn’t involve snow or a snowy night.  I made a card that was fun and frisky and gave me a laugh while making it.  You can’t ask for more than that.  I’ll give you a small taste of the card.  Picture a gaggle (I’m not sure what you call a group of three flamingos) of flamingos wearing flip flops.  Need I say more?

The other technique I’m working with is using Distress inks on a big background stamp and then dousing it with pearlized water.  So far the card hasn’t dried, but I’m really excited about the look of it at this point.  I’m not sure exactly where to go with it once it’s dry, but I’m hoping an idea comes to me so I can finish this card with style.

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And lastly, I decided I needed to do another haul video as I have so many things I’ve bought and haven’t shown on video.  Those darn end of year sales really sucked me in and I wanted to show how some of the things I bought were specifically tailored to my Jennifer McGuire transformation.  I hope people will appreciate the lengths to which I am willing to go  to become “Jennifer.”  Actually, I just really liked the stamp set she showed in one of her videos and had to track it down.  It sounded good though, didn’t it?

Today was the first garage sale of the year. It was an estate sale in the owner’s home, and I love those, because there are so many fun vintage items to look through. This person had old suitcases and if you know me, and my storage system for crafty things, I absolutely can’t find anything better or more durable than vintage suitcases.  I use them for my seasonal stamps and Christmas embellishments, as well as one for fabrics and another for gelli plate items.  I know, I haven’t used my gelli plate yet, but I plan on using it in the near future as I think I’ll need a break from card making soon.

I have another video that needs uploaded and then I’ll be back to using a technique that involves the white pigment ink again.  It’s a favorite of our Jennifers, and I’m sure you’ll agree that so far, we’ve gotten great results when using it.

I have two different techniques using the pigment ink that I’ll be trying then I think I’ll have my MISTI back and will be making some different and hopefully, unique ideas with it.

My friend Elishia and I have a plan to use the same stamp sets on our channels and each make a card to see what results we achieve on our own.  I can’t wait to see what Elishia does because she’s really talented and actually does use her Big Shot, which puts her at a huge advantage over my crafty skills.

I’m also thinking of playing more with my Distress inks, so look forward to some videos involving them.  There’s a world of Jennifer inspired videos, all I need to do is capture ones that really appeal to me and hopefully, they will appeal to you as well.

I tried another of Jennifer McGuire’s techniques today and it’s the first one where I really don’t think I feel comfortable with the results.  I used her stamp tracing technique which is exactly like it sounds.  You stamp an image and then trace it with pens.  I tried it once with gel pens and hated the results, so tried it a second time using a thin marker instead.  I don’t think my lines looked right and I really didn’t think the results deserved to be in a video.  Sometimes I convince myself that the end result is ok, but this time, I’m just not sure.  To me, the end result looks fairly childish and I’m not thrilled with that.

Rich did look at the card and thought it looked fine.  Fine isn’t great, or really nice, or even nice, it’s just fine.  Let’s just say I won’t be doing that technique again any time soon.  I am going to put the video up though, because Rich felt it deserved to be seen.  We’ll wait to see about that.

I would like to try something that isn’t horribly labor intensive, but give great results every time.  I haven’t gotten to the Vagabond stage and maybe once I start using that, my results will improve and I’ll feel a lot more confident using Jennifer’s techniques.

I am feeling a little bit burned out making cards and want to get back to making other crafty things and trying things that aren’t card techniques.  I’m not sure what I’m looking to do, but for now, just coming up with something other than a card will make me happy.

I guess I’m not a card maker at heart, or maybe I  am never happy doing only one thing.  I like to try different crafts and find different outlets for my interests and doing the same thing over and over has never been my strong suit.  I really do like making crafts during the holidays, because there are so many things you can do and so many different crafty avenues to pursue.  Or, it could be that after making a card that I’m disappointed with, I need to find a technique to make me feel better about the process in general.  I guess we’ll never know, maybe I am a card maker at heart, but currently not feeling very good about the results I’m getting..

I really liked the way this card turned out.  It uses a technique, Jennifer calls ghost stamping.  I tailored my card after this video of Jennifer McGuire’s.

Here are some of the supplies I used:
My Creative Times Many Greetings stamp set
Avery Elle Petals and Stems stamp set
Hero Arts Unicorn White Ink
acrylic block
craft card stock 5 1/2″ wide by 4 1/4″ tall (folded)

I stamped the flowers with the Unicorn white ink randomly on the bottom and sides of my card.  Then dried the images with my heat tool.  I used my corn starch pouch and wiped the top portion of my card and stamped my sentiment in Versamark Ink then used Ranger white embossing powder and heat set it. I chose a set of inks that are in the pink range of colors but in one container from Stampin’ Up that is discontinued but you can still buy them from Kaleidacolor from Tsukineko.  I re stamped using different pinks on each flower but offset a little bit.  Once I had stamped all of my flowers, I took my Prismacolor White pencil and went around the images to emphasize the shadow.  Then I took another pencil that was called Henna and outlined the flowers with it as well.  I then used a Martha Stewart Florentine gold glitter with my Zig two way glue pen to highlight the centers of the flowers.  I thought I needed some Caladium leaf and foliage leaf stamps from peg stamps and stamped leaves around my flowers.  After I finished with everything, I added some green colored pencil around my leaves to make them stand out as well.  I used Glossy Accents on all of the flowers and leaves to make them really look 3-d.  I was really happy with the results and hope you like them as well.