Card Party Makes and Rants in My Pants

Good Day!

I thought you might like to see the great makes from the card party I went to Thursday afternoon.  We are a mixture of long-time friends and new friends.  Some of us were invited to join an existing group and then we've brought our friends who've brought their friends.  Card makers are a singularly welcoming and generous community and whether one is new to the art or an old-timer, everyone walks away having learned something new and with cool new cards in their stash!

 

Rather than have one "teacher," we all brought a card and enough card kits for the other ladies to make and take.  In Alpha Betty order, please enjoy!

I made a simple classic embossed card with a ribbon treatment twist:

Darnell

~~~

 

Gladys made this adorable ice cream card in ice cream colors ~ yummo!  The scoops of ice cream were made from the frosting part of a cupcake die and the cone is a simple triangle.

Gladys

On the inside of Gladys's card, she added an embossed strip.  Cute and clever and something I've never thought to do before.

Gladys

~~~

 

Harriet gave us all a great lesson in masking, both positive and negative.  As a lot of the ladies had never seen it done before, Harriet's presentation was the most magical.  In addition to masking and sponging, we overstamped our negative space, like this:

Harriet

~~~

Kathy made this fab instruction sheet for us showing how to make one-dimensional bows from paper and punches!  It has the impact of a ribbon bow, but is much easier to mail.  I popped Kathy's and my finished bows on the page so  you could see how fantastic they look finished:

Kathy

~~~

Nancy made this stunning card out of co'ordinations paper.  It has wonderful texture, looks great sanded ...

Nancy

. . . and, since the paper is double-side, is cool on the inside: 

~~~

 

Nancy also made me these incredible butterflies I ordered.  Aren't they breathtaking?! 

~~~

Sara made this jaw-dropping card!  The flower is made from an ornament die!  Don't you think it would make an extraordinary package decoration?  In fact, Sara found the original idea (which was for a package topper) from Liz at Stamper's Bliss.

 

And there you have it, lots of card inspiration for you in one post-toasty!  If you'd like any of the specific details for any card, just let me know.

 

~~~

 

Rant

 

Speaking of mail, I have seen other rants about the postal service both here and abroad so I think it's a pretty universal issue.  Here we are, as card senders, singlehandedly trying to keep the postal service in business and they are making it very difficult!  The prices are bordering on extortion and the service is often discussting.

 

When I mail a card that might be squished, I place it in a small square padded envelope with thin cardboard on each side.  According to the online instructions, it is a "Large Envelope," it takes two stamps to mail it, and no customs form is required.  I have successfully mailed it, thus, to other states, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.  Last week I sent one off and it came back to me two days later saying it was $6.55 to mail, not $2.10, and it required a customs form.  Seven dollars to mail a card.  Sigh.  No explanation was attached.

 

Insert cussing.

 

The thing is, it's not just the cost or the need for the form, it's the lack of consistency that crawls up the back of my neck.  Just make up your mind and make it universal, city-upon-city and day-upon-day.  And for the love of God, please don't have one set of rules in your USPS online instructions and another set of rules in our local post office!  So I got my big girl panties out of the hamper and went to stand on line, hoping to find E. Lucy Dation.

 

When it was my turn, I calmly explained to the nice lady just what I told you above.  I looked deeply into her disinterested eyes and made my plea for explanation with lots of shrugging of my shoulders, cocking of my head, and splaying of my hands. 

 

She took the envelope.  She weighed it.  She measured it.  She weighed it again.  She thrust it through the Thickness Testing Slot.  It passed all those tests.  Then it was her turn to shrug.  She said, "Maybe all the others just slipped by without anyone noticing."

 

Really?  Are these the same people who are checking our packages carefully for poisonous powders and things that go boom?  Really?  A dozen times no one noticed before?  What day will I find Noone and Anyone working, so I can mail my Large Envelope on that day?

 

And then, before I could respond, she took my package containing my beautiful card and she kneaded it all the way around between her thumbs and her forefingers and then she tried to BEND.IT.COMPLETELY.IN.HALF. 

 

It makes me sweat just remembering.  I'm pretty sure I shrieked like a caught mouse and there may have been spittle.

 

Totally unfazed by my hysterical face she sternly said, "It's too stiff.  Now it's a 'Small Parcel.'  It costs more and needs a form."

 

Seriously?  This is what they do to our cards?  They bend them in half to determine if the exact same envelope is a "Large Envelope" or a "Small Parcel?!"  They bend them in half?!

Eye Yie Yie.  Having said all that, in the bigger picture, I know it's amazing that we get our mail to and from destinations with such speed and accuracy and I think carriers work extremely hard, so please don't hate on me for complaining.  This really did happen and it really is ridiculous.

~~~

 

So now you know what the deal is.  Don't be putting in extra cardboard if the padding of the envelope is enough.  Especially since they are going to bend the crap out of your card anyway.  That way you can send three limp "Large Envelopes" for the same price as one stiff "Small Parcel." 

Please know that if you send me a card, I will always appreciate the time and effort and money you spent to do so!  And if a piece of your card is loose in the envelope, I'll understand why!

 

~~~

 

Thank you for letting me rant.  Now let's all shake it off and go enjoy our day!  No, seriously, enjoy.  LITS*

 

As always, thank you for coming by to visit the Playhouse and special thanks to you if you take the time to leave a comment and/or join as a follower! 

 

*Life Is Too Short!  

DD #55, MM #60 ~ A Raspberry Christmas!

Great Morning!

This is a photoheavy post with pictures of the cards from our fun workshop yesterday, but I'm starting with a QACAS card I made for this week's Dynamic Duos and Merry Monday challenges.

 

• Dynamic Duos is a color challenge and this week's colors are raspberry and wisteria!

Even if you don't play along, you should go over and see the fantastic DT cards!

 

• Merry Monday is a weekly Christmas card sketch challenge.  Thanks to MM, I now have two Christmas cards made.  That'll be one Yip and two EEs, please!  This site is an excellent fountain of inspiration when you face the fact that Christmas is racing up behind you.  Here is the sketch designed by the talented and tireless Lesley Croghan:

And here is my take:

I stamped a SU! holly stamp on glossy paper to make my own designer background paper.  I cut it into strips to make it work for the sketch, attaching them to the raspberry textured paper.  The sediment is from the Technique Tuesday "Jingle All The Way" set.  The stars were cut from SU! wisteria wonder with an ancient punch and the pearl bling is from SU!.

 

~~~

 

I'm happlily including the following cards for your inspirational pleasure.  They were made by me from kits brought by my friends.  Please note that.  What was interesting was that half of the projects used Raspberry Ripple, too, and none of us knew what the others were making!  It's definitely a go-to color in this neck of the whirled!

 

+++  +++

 

Our hostess, Sara, shared an owldorable tri-fold designed card:

 

 

 

 

 +++  +++

 

Gladys shared this darling "perk-up" card designed for coffee lovers:

 

 

 +++  +++

 

Nancy shared this breathtaking butterfly card.  (She made all the butterflies for us ahead of time, bless her.  They are so amazing, I told her I would love to buy some from her!)

 

 

 +++  +++

 

Kathy shared this brilliant gift-pack designed assortment of thank you cards:

 

Front of packet

Empty inside of packet

 

Inside of packet with cards

 Thank you card set

 

 Individual card front

Needless to say I have some extremely talented real life friends, in addition to all of you!  It was a very productive and fun time.  We missed the ladies who weren't able to join us for this one! 

 

If you have any questions about any of the cards, let me know, and I'll try and get the answers for you.  Please make sure you include information so I can reach you by email.

 

~~~

 

I would like to have you also meet a new friend named Wynneth Happer!  Welcome, Wynneth!  We are so happy to have you along!

 

~~~

 

I'll be doing some gardening as our temps will be hitting triple digits by the weekend, ugh me with a spoon.  Please go enjoy your day, however you're spending it!   No, seriously, enjoy.  LITS*! 

Thank you so much for stopping by the Playhouse.  Special thanks to you if you take the time to leave a comment or join as a follower!
 

*Life Is Too Short!

Freshly Made Sketch #31 - A Sketch By Rita

A thrilling Thursday hello!

I'm playing today with Freshly Made Sketches.  This cute sketch is by the talented Rita Wright.

I've produced a fiddly card for this challenge.  I think the word is fiddly.  I've seen my British friends use it (don't you just love their cool-loquialism?!) and I like the sound of it.  I think it means that you spent a bit of time fussing and detailing to get 'er done.  Which this did.

When I was cleaning up my mess yesterday, I came across that cute ribbon which I forgot I had.  I have no idea where it came from since it's in a clear little baggie.  There are several other cute little ribbons in there, too, which you might see on a card soon.  (That's the downside of not liking clutter.  Sometimes I put new things away before I use them and then I forget I have them.  I once did that with an entire set of pots and pans.  Just kidding, who has a kitchen big enough to put away an entire set of pots and pans without it being a huge memorable production?  And anyways, you can't wait to use new pots and pans.  Apparently, in my head case, that's not true with cute ribbon.)

So, as I was about to say, before I was parenthetically interrupted, the ribbon reminded me of the cute brads I have, which are also unmarked.  I'm thinking they are from Stampin' Up! because they get along so well with the "Sweets for the Sweet" stamp set which I used to make the background paper.  It's a card that makes me smile.  Because it's got to do with candy.

Having new followers also makes me smile!  I'd like to welcome Zo and Nadia and Trisha!  I appreciate having you on board!

Please enjoy ~ and, as always, thank you for stopping by.   Special thanks to you if you take the time to join as a follower or leave me a comment!

Paper:  SU white, pretty in pink

Stamps:  SU Sweets for the Sweet

Ribbon:  $ yellow; pink patterned unknown

Cuttlebug and circle nesties

Brads:  SU?

ColourQ Challenge #133

Just a quick post-it on this Tuesday.  I wasn't feelin' it today for some reason.  I tried This Challenge and That Challenge and hit road-blocks, detoured onto side roads, blew a tire, forgot where I was, went down a different road.  You've all been there.  Finally, I was able to come up with a useable card for this week's ColourQ challenge.  The inspiration comes from this beautifully mod Yellow Columbine Cushion from Ferm:

I tried flowers.  Not today.  No can do.  I remembered I had, of all things (!), a hot dog stamp down in the bottom cupboard.  I wish I could stop myself from thinking "hot dog" every time I see "More Mustard," but it always goes there.  I love that Stampin' Up! color and bought a whole bunch of it.  (Need some?)  Since there isn't a big demand for cards featuring hot dogs, I'll be very keen on what everyone else does with this challenge.  Please click over and link a card!

In the meantime, as befits my usual perspectivity of sizes in relation to one another, I made a card with a little girl holding Giant Hot Dogs With More Mustard And Dusty Durango Buns:

I'm low on mojo today, but high on happy to see that Sunny has joined as a follower!  I appreciate that very much!

Please enjoy ~ and, as always, thank you for stopping by.   Special thanks to you if you take the time to join as a follower or leave me a comment!

Paper:  SU White, Basic Gray, More Mustard,

  Dusty Durango; glossy white; unknown BP

Stamps:  SU girl, unknown set,

  sentiment unmarked

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black; Marvy markers

Ribbon:  SU Bluebird

P.S. Edit.  I finished the above and clicked over to ColourQ to link and then noticed last week's winner (congratulations  Sanketi!) of #132 challenge and then I saw that I was named one of the Courtiers for last week's card!  Thank you so much for perking up my spirits in a BIG way today!!  And congrats to my fellow Courtiers ~ I'm in fabulous company!

Mojo Monday 235 - Contest!

Tuesday again and I'm here with another Mojo Monday sketch card.  Whoever originated this idea of Mojo Monday, thank you!  Sometimes after a weekend of heavy drinking, you need a good sketch to get your mojo juices rehydrated.  Of course, you know I'm kidding about the heavy drinking.  One should engage in heavy petting, but only moderate drinking, and never heavy lifting!

Usually we all just link for fun over on Mojo Monday, but because it's the first week of the month, there are prizes!!  Click on over and check them out and join in the fun!  Here is the sketchy:

Very nice design by Teresa Kline!  Here is my card:

Yesterday I had giant butterflies and this time it's a giant frog.  Behind the card, see? 

I know that mustard isn't normally considered a spring color, but the weather has been  downright summery for lots of us around the world.  And what's more summery than mustard?  (And ketchup?  And hot dogs?)  Besides, when I was looking for my long-stemmed tulip for this challenge, which oh by the way, I never did find, I came across "Geri," who always makes me smile.  Easily distracted, I then went to look at my background papers and ... well, you can see how it all came together!  Where is that tulip stamp, though?  How does someone as organized as I am lose a beloved stamp?  Don't answer that.

It truly is a gorgeous day here and I am heading back out to finish my mani-pedi of the backyard flowers' fingers and toes.  I am thrilled that my lilac is beginning to bloom and I will have at least one blossom to bring inside the house on Easter Sunday for my guests to enjoy.  I grew up in Iowa and I loved the lilac bushes in full bloom.  Outrageous they were, summer's can-can girls with their heady scents. 

When we first moved to this house 36 years ago, we went to the local nursery to buy a few plants and, of course, I wanted a lilac bush.  "Well," the nursery lady said, eyes pointing down her nose, "you can get a lilac bush, but they are very hard to grow here and it will take five years before you get your first bloom."  Well, forget that, I agreed, who wants to wait five years for a flower?!  Geesh and besides, we certainly won't be in this house FIVE years from now!  Wrong I was, and you've no doubt already done the math and imagined how many blossoms I've lost out on because of the impatience and know-it-all-ness of my youth.  Two years ago, when we finally could afford to landscape the backyard, I got a five-gallon lilac bush, already in bloom.  (Yes, there are such things - no more waiting!)  I don't believe in looking over my shoulder, wistfully, at what might have been, but my lips do purse if for one minute I also think of all the lilac blossoms I could have had . . .

Nevermind, I have them now!

If you are still with me, please do a happy dance to welcome Mandi and Victoria.  Both ladies are fantastic inspirations!  Mandi is co-author with Chrissie of the Less Is More challenge site, a favorite of mine.

Please enjoy ~ and, as always, thank you for stopping by!   Special thanks to you if you took the time to join as a follower or leave me a comment!

Paper:  SU vanilla, unknown BP; Bazzill

Stamps:  Mostly Animals, "Geri" 397-S5;

  Hero Art's "What's New?"

Ink:  SU More Mustard and Brocade Blue

Accessories:  SU More Mustard ribbon;

  Cuttlebug & Nesties, circles and Foliage

  SU and unknown buttons

Less Is More Week 61 - Lucky Dip!

I'm posting today with Trep I. Dation.  We are always just a little bit nervous about these LIM challenges since we regularly miss a bit due to our limited attention spans.  So this week, it's "Lucky Dip."  Before visiting the Simply Less Is More website a few months ago, I had never heard the British term "lucky dip."  I checked with Mr. Google and found out the term springs from a children's game where adults extort money from little innocent kiddos and then allow them to "dip" excitedly into a barrel of sawdust for a toy.  Thankfully, the Msses. Chrissie and Mandie have done the "dipping" for us and this is our beautiful toy:

Chrissie explained patiently to me last week, that LIM has a "Lucky Dip" when there are five Saturdays in a month.  It makes sense to me, which should scare the pants off them.  Here is my card using the colors shown:

I shouldn't say anything, but I can't stop myself.  First, I love this set from Stampin' Up!, the name of which escapes me.  In the beautiful image, there are two teeny weeny buttlerflies. Buttlerflies are very handy to have around the estate.  What I meant to type was butterflies. Anyways, they looked like they needed to be embellished, so I put two dimensional butterflies over the drawn ones.  I used the teeniest weeniest ones I had and still, I mean, they look quite silly, don't they?  Just between us.  The larger one is as big as that poor girl's head.  She looks like she is standing still in stark terror of the giant alien butterflies heading straight for her.  Had you noticed before I said anything?

Please enjoy ~ and, as always, thank you for stopping by.   Special thanks to you if you took the time to join as a follower or leave me a comment!

Paper:  Bazzill, unknown, SU DSP, watercolor
Stamp:  SU, unknown set
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black; Marvy markers
Accessories:  Butterflies from K & Company;
  waterbrush

CAS-ual Fridays #46 "Name That Tune"

I'm posting later and later in the day.  I'd like to tell you it's because I'm getting up later and later, but I'm not.  It's all about spring and spending more time outdoors gardening and it's all about lots of March birthdays.  Couples were really getting busy in June six decades ago, if you know what I mean.  I have a lot of friends with March birthdays and today I had another lunch for a friend.  It was so nice.  I think, too, by the sixth decade we are all just so thigh-flappin-happy to still be here!  And we giggle over the dumbest little thing and we weren't even drinking!  Life is good.

This week's challenge at CAS-ual Fridays is "Name That Tune." 

The sponsor this week is Melanie Muenchinger.  Melanie designs for Gina K Designs.  You can find more inspiration from Melanie and view all her stamp sets on her blog, “Hands, Head and Heart.”

(This week is also the last call for you to apply for a spot as a member of the Design Team for this terrific blog. Get on over there and get on it!  Remember Hank Ford said, "There isn't a person anywhere who isn't capable of doing more than he thinks he can.")

Seeing so many of my friends this month, breaking bread, catching up, and sharing memories, made me want to use a song about friends.  A heart-throb in my youth, I'm going with James Taylor and "You've Got a Friend."  Well, I'm not "going with" James Taylor, although I wish I was going with James Taylor!  Now, stop it, here's my card:

I won't be on at all tomorrow, but hope to be back on Sunday.  We will be out enjoying a day in the City with old friends from college days, folks we haven't seen in over 30 years! 

I'm so happy to welcome two new followers who have joined my site.  They are Amanda and Misty's Mum.  I appreciate it!

Please enjoy ~ and, as always, thank you for stopping by. Special thanks to you if you took the time to join as a follower or leave me a comment!

Paper:  SU Vanilla, DSP, and Bashful Blue

Stamps:  PTI Signature Greetings

Ink:  PTI Dark Chocolate

Accessories:  SU Bashful Blue ribbon;

  unknown heart brad

CFC42 and SCS374

GMS!  I have two cards today - WOOHOO, which stands for woo and hoo, nothing else.  I've worked for years at a company that uses a TON (meaning a lot) of acronyms.  It took me quite a while to fit in with the lingo and I couldn't resist, of course, making up nonsense acronyms whenever I could!  JFTFOI.

And now, in this WWW of online stampers and crafters, I am sometimes at a loss for WTH all the acronyms mean like RKY, or CAS, or DWP.  Know what I mean?  But I'm getting the HANG (meaning suspend or dangle) of it.  Huh?  Why do we use it to mean "understand" I wonder.  BID.

Today I made a card for CAS-ual Fridays CFC42:



The challenge is to make a clean and simple baby project.  Here is mine:

Embossing yesterday reminded me of how much I enjoy embossing.  I know gray is an odd color for a baby card, but because I embossed the rattle in silver, it seemed to be the thing to do, in my mind.  I first embossed the rattle in silver and then embossed the bow in yellow.  To join in the fun and make a CAS BABY (meaning infant) card or project, please check out the awesome CAS-ual Fridays site.

The idea for the sketch layout of the BABY card came from Splitcoast Stampers sketch #374 challenge.  For that challenge, I originally made this SPDC.  I stamped my Hero Arts heart stamp three times to make it look like a shamrock and then I surrounded it with rhinestone bling.  Like this:

I have to say that I made the mistake of going to SCS first thing this morning and checking out the other cards and now I'm wondering if I shouldn't instead be putting these cards just in the CAS category.  My cards are VERY (meaning quite) unadorned compared to most of the beautiful cards already downloaded.  Or uploaded.  Now the term "loaded" I am familiar with and one time ... hey now.

I'm happy to welcome Wilma Kelly of Smitten with Stampin as a follower.  Stop by and welcome her online, if you can, as she is just starting out.  Have a fabulous Sunday, wherever you are.  Thank you, as always, for stopping to visit me and say hi!

Enjoy! TTFN

Baby
Paper:  Bazzill gray, unknown other
Stamps: rattle and sentiment are both SU, unknown sets
Embossing powder: silver, Stampa Rosa; yellow SU maize

St. Pat's
Paper:  Unknown green, DSP is SU
Stamps:  shamrock from HA Heart, stem from SU leaf
Oval: Creative Memories cutter
Rhinestones: unknown