A site for my handmade cards, accompanied by my photos and written meanderings which are occasionally witty, often tongue-in-cheek, and rarely profound. Beginning in June 2013, you'll also see lots of NBUS, which is an acronym I coined for Never-Before-Used-Schtuff. Note: my Privacy Policy can be found at a tab below and you can find my NBUS Challenge online. I hope you'll join in the fun there! Thanks for coming by! Have a beverage and enjoy!

I.D.E.A.S.

This I.D.E.A.S. Calendar is self-explanatory. I will add a linky tool to each Monday post on my main home page. You can join me there any week of any month and any day of the week. There is no pressure to join every week. 

The inks, dies, embossing, etc. do not have to be the main event of your creation. For instance, in D = Dies week, as long as you've used a die somewhere, you can enter.

The linky will go live on Mondays at 12:05 a.m. PST and close on Sundays at 11:55 p.m. PST. Rinse. Repeat.

A few notes/ideas:
  • You won't be judged. Is your photo blurry or crooked? It won't bother me and no one in the gallery will care. 

  • A dear friend recently told me that she sees a product used on a card that she likes, so she buys it. But then, oops, she didn't make a note of where she got her inspiration, so when the product arrives, she doesn't know what to do with it. We can all relate. So if you bought something and now you have no idea what to do with it, share a photo of it on your post and maybe someone can help you with ideas.
  • And in order to inspire others, it would be great if you shared what kicked off your card design, not just the process you used to make your card. Was it a sketch, color, or theme challenge? Or all three? Was it Pinterest or a card posted on social media, or just your own clever brain? Etc. 
  • Remember, CASEing another person's card (and giving credit) is a high compliment for them. I have a Pinterest account with a Board called, "Cards I Made" with 2,139 cards. Help yourself! I've made a Board for I.D.E.A.S., too, and I will add your cards there for ongoing design ideas.
  • Another friend shared that she still enjoys making cards and she wants to use her unused schtuff before she quits, but she doesn't have anyone to make cards for. We can help each other with that, too. (*See below in comments.)
  • If poor health or other reasons leave you with low stamina, just make card fronts. Write a message on the backs and slip those into envelopes to send. I did that for the majority of my Christmas cards last year and no one seemed to mind. It's also a way to spread the love, because the recipient can slap it on a card back and pass it on.
  • If you have things you no longer need, mention it in your post because someone else in the gallery might love to have it. 
  • Lastly, it should go without saying, that there are many, many other wonderful challenges in Blogland, many of which you have seen promoted over the years on my blog posts. The women and men who own them and design for them work very hard to provide you with inspiration and places to share your creations. There are also other groups like Snippets PlaygroundWOYWWGroup of Seven Cardmakers, etc. Please continue to support them!
If you have ideas to add to this list, let me know. And if you have any questions, or if you need any help linking, please let me know. 🤝❤️

To return to my main blog for the I.D.E.A.S. link, go Here.

2 comments:

Robyn Oliver said...

Brilliant Darnell, yep I've been in the slump for a couple of years, but having your IDEAS helped me last year and even though I didn't make many cards... yes problem is what to do with the cards I have made... there's a stash!! I started a birthday box at my crochet group last year and that got rid of a few and I'm thinking to bundle them up and drop them off to a Aged Care facility for those that live there to use free. Keep on entertaining us (me) with your fabulous posts I love reading them. Take care and enjoy LITS hugs Robyn

Darnell said...

From Lesley G.: Some tips for surplus cards we make…find out if any neighbours who can’t get out much would like them. Some care homes take them for residents to send. Package them for gifts. Charity shops. Look online for schemes.