The purple one from the workshop…

Just posting the purple one from the workshop that I left at her house. I went to pick it up a couple weeks ago, then forgot all about it. Like I said, I like this one the best from that workshop…still considering getting that set…

Some Ideas for Gate…

When I left Gate’s house on Saturday, I was so tired I couldn’t even keep my eyes open. She asked me to bring home the Artfully Asian to see if I could come up with some ideas. So today I was browsing through SCS, and came across this card, which I CASE’d. The card is Always Artichoke, I stamped the cherry blossom branch all over in the same color ink. I stamped the same cherry blossom branch on Mellow Moss CS in AA ink, then used Iridescent Ice H2O to color in. Attached to a black mat, which was on a white one. Tied some silver cording, and Voila…

Then I made another one, similar, but I changed a few things. The card is Close to Cocoa, the inside layer is More Mustard. I stamped the maple leaves (haha, don’t ask me the names of any other leaves or flowers though) in MM ink. Then I did the same with the cherry blossom branches on WW cardstock this time, and colored them in with mustard green, rose gold and golden monarch. Mounted that onto a ruby red mat, stuck it on the mustard and tied a chocolate chip ribbon across the bottom. Not bad, not sure which I like better…we’ll see which Gate likes.

Still gotta work on Emerald’s album, hope to get some done tomorrow…and post the pictures…

Playing at Gate’s again…

This past weekend we decided to have another 2-day card making session at Gate’s house. We were waiting for our SU! order, and I waited all day hoping it would come in time, but it didn’t. Oh well. We did it the same as the last time, Dillon took a nap right after school, and then we went, except this time I told HBY he could do whatever he wanted all day, but he had to come get them around 9:30pm. Well, I should have told him 8:30. I actually did tell him to come around 8:30, so he could eat dinner and then take the kids home, but he didn’t get there until after 9pm. Luckily I had just cooked a couple of steaks for PP and myself, so he ate, then had to leave. Joshua and Megan had Chinese school Sat. morning, so that’s why we were kind of on a schedule. Anyway, then the kids left and I could really get to work

I sat there for a while, and couldn’t really think of anything to make. I had brought at least 20 different stamp sets (probably more), but I just looked at them and didn’t know where to start. So I figured I’d start off with something easy…came out okay, nothing great, but can’t really go wrong with that stamp set or those colors. Mae said it’s too dark, but I still like it. I stamped the get well sentiment thinking I’d send the card to Aunty Momi, some happy mail while she’s recovering from her shoulder surgery.

After that one, I still had no kind of inspiration, so I made some really simple ones. I’m thinking I can make these simple holiday cards and send them to the people that don’t really care how nice my holiday cards are. The ones that are just going to toss it in the garbage anyway.

Then I made a couple of these. Simple, but Gate set the goal at 20, so I thought if I made simpler ones, I’d have a chance at making it. Yeah, right.

Then I decided to try some new color combinations using the In Colors from SU! The first thing I did was punch a white scallop circle (biggest circle punch I have), then I had to get out my circle cutter to cut the other circles. Poor Gate, she had to look all over for her cutting mat so I could use it. I stamped the flowers on the white, matted it, then couldn’t figure out what to do next. I still haven’t figured it out. Some ribbon? Another stamped image? Maybe a smaller circle? But I don’t have a different size scallop circle, so then what? I have no idea.

Anyway, then I made a different card using the same colors. It came out okay, but still I’m not that happy about it. So I tried changing the Sky to the Wasabi. I think of those three, I like that one the best…

It was then that I started to get really tired. I decided to make the little 3×3 cards, and I guess they came out cute, even though the little snowmen one seems a little lacking.

By then, I was so dead tired, but we decided to watch Zodiac (or whatever the hell it’s called) and it was so so so so boring. Add to that how tired I was and – yep, I fell asleep. Until Mae slapped the pillow next to me. But damn, it was so hard staying awake. I think I concentrated so hard on staying awake that I couldn’t even pay attention to the movie. Haha.

The next day we were back again. This time I was going to cook, so I packed up the fryer to make the yummy dip chicken, I made some potato salad, and brought some cut cantaloupe. Gate made her wintermelon/lotus/carrot/tofu soup, so we figured we’d have enough food. As soon as I got to the house I got started on the chicken. Poor Gate, I asked if she had some flour, but she didn’t. I figured I’d try and fry the chicken without the flour, but she just went to Walgreen’s to get some. We plugged the fryer outside in the back, that’s way better. I have to start doing that now. It’s way better than smelling like fried oil, and the whole house stinking.

So after I ate some chicken, rice and potato salad – my favorite meal – I sat at my spot at the end of the table and tried to dig up some creativity. I didn’t really feel it. Gate had seen this ad in the Costco circular, and thought one of the pictures looked like it could be a cute card. So we tried it out. We picked the Elegant Eggplant, our favorite color. Then Gate picked the Paisley & Petals for the bottom part. I tried and tried, but couldn’t make it look less busy. She wasn’t happy with hers either, although I definitely liked hers better. Maybe I should start taking pictures of her cards, too. So after I made this first one, I tried again, but it came out a little different, and maybe not necessarily in a better way…after that card, I tried again but with the Baroque Motifs. But no matter how I tried, I couldn’t get the swirl to look nice going across the card the long way. So I just flipped it around and stuck it on. Then, using the card that we made at Patti’s as inspiration, I stamped the flower in Lavender Lace, matted it on LL cardstock, then cut around it. Then stuck a gold brad in the middle of it and stuck it on with a pop-dot.

At that point I was pretty much done with the eggplant and mustard combination, so I moved on the 3×3 cards. I brought out all of my scrap paper (most of which is so big it’s enough to make at least one A2 card and still have leftover, but I still consider that crap, I mean scrap) and started cutting and scoring. I got a little carried away, and cut probably about 30 little cards, these are the ones that got used:

The last one with the falling cherry blossoms, Gate really liked and asked me to come up with a full-sized one so she could copy…looks pretty much the same…

So that was our weekend in a nutshell. Today I stayed home and tried to clean, do laundry and get ready for the coming week. But, of course, I was lazy. I got the kitchen clean, cleaned the bathroom and picked up a few toys. Then I started working on Emerald’s scrapbook from her Bridal Shower. I really gotta get that finished, and soon. Pictures to follow…

I was supposed to clean today

Since yesterday we were gone at the beach all day, I wanted to stay home today to clean and cook and get everything ready for Dillon to go back to school tomorrow. Well, I did one load of laundry, cooked several meals (but only one for myself), picked up a few toys and stamped 5 cards. Two were the same, but still, I had to stamp them both.

This first one didn’t turn out AT ALL like it was supposed to. I don’t know what it needs, I saw one almost exactly the same online, and I tried to copy it, but it just doesn’t look as nice when I made it.

Then I made this one. I was on SCS, browsing through the color challenges. One was Purely Pomegranate, Pretty in Pink and Old Olive. Sounded nice, so I tried it. Came out okay I thought. Except that the light paper I used wasn’t Pretty in Pink, it was a Bazzill paper and looked almost like a light mauve, but oh well.

After that I made this crazy looking one. Not sure what I was aiming for, but this wasn’t it. Still, not bad, I wouldn’t mind giving it to someone.

And this last one I CASE’d from emilymomto3boys on SCS. I liked it so much I made 2 of them.

I suppose I should get started on my holiday cards, then I won’t have to rush the last couple days before I need to get them out. Maybe I’ll try a little scrapbooking tomorrow…

Playing at Gate’s and at home

Last night we went over to Gate’s to let the kids play, eat dinner and the moms try and create. Haha. After school, we came home and I let Dillon take a 2.5 hour nap, he was so tired, poor thing. Then we went to Gate’s. I cooked spaghetti, she had made corn cobs and some soup. Dillon ate a BIG bowl of soup with rice, and then played with Joshua like crazy. Thank god they get along. After he was done with his meetings, HBY came to eat dinner and hang out a little. I made him take the kids home early, around 9:30, to put them to bed. Then I got to work…

I made one of the folders that we saw at Patti’s, that holds cards and envelopes then ties shut to make a really cute gift. Not so involved as the tins, for a not-so-important person?? How rude. Haha, but really, it’s cute and a good idea. And only takes one sheet of 8.5×11 cardstock. I just need to stamp a cover and decorate it.

Then I went about making some cards to put in there.

I used the Sketch an Event set for this. Even after all the other sets that have come out, I still like the look of this set a lot.

And here it is again. After the workshop, I like the look of the kraft and the real red.

I finally used this stamp from Hero Arts that I bought at Stamp on Over when I went with Daphne for the Amuse-a-palooza. This card is very simple, but I’m so unoriginal

And I FINALLY made this card after I bought this set – just to make this card – over 2 years ago, maybe even more than 3. I wanted the card to be the mustard, but I stamped the sentiment crooked (which isn’t at all uncommon), so I had to just rip it apart and use the back. Gate liked this card so much she made 6 of them.

And of course since we were supposed to be there to make Halloween cards, I had to use the pumpkin tree stamp I got at Stamp-on-Over. It’s a new Amuse stamp, so cute. This might be my Halloween card this year…

I cleaned up my stuff to leave Gate’s around midnight, but sat there and just talked for almost 3 extra hours. Damn, I might have been able to crank out one more card in that time. But I was so beat.

Today I had a little time to play before we had to go to San Jose…I went onto SCS and read the tutorial for the 2-5-7-10 box, I guess that’s what it’s called? Not very complicated with the kind of instructions they put up on that site, it’s great. And not very much effort at all, and the end result is cute! I’m almost positive I’ll be making some of these in the future!!

After that, I kind of sat here and looked at stuff, then decided to make some of the little accordion albums that we saw at Patti’s. I didn’t take pictures of those, because they’re pretty standard and plain. I plan on making one for each of the flower girls in Emerald’s wedding.

Then, I came upon the old pictures of Joshua at the pumpkin patch. I was going to make him a little book a long time ago, but never did. But I ended up making a cute little book finally.

After that we had to leave, and we didn’t get back until late. But altogether a pretty productive day, considering…