Product Comparison - Apples to Pumpkins

I recently had the awesome opportunity to host a House Party sponsored by Paper Pumpkin by Stampin' Up! where my guests and I got to try out the new Paper Pumpkin kits for free. Pretty awesome, right? Since everyone had their own kit to work with, they all got to take home their mini stamp set and ink cube as well as the 4 cute cards they made.

Let me first say that even though I am an Independent Consultant for Close To My Heart, I have always enjoyed SU!'s products as well, and several of their products have a home in my craft room.  That being said, I have to admit that I was a little disappointed in Paper Pumpkin.

Now, unlike some people I've heard from, I actually loved the cute little stamp set that came in our kit. It had three sentiment stamps: a large "seriously" and two smaller "love your guts" and "you kick booty". I thought they were a hoot! The kit also included a Cherry Cobbler Stampin' Spot (ink cube) and all the items (except adhesive and scissors) to make 4 cards of the same design. Some of the pieces were self-adhesive, but not all. I thought the cards turned out pretty cute!

I had to change my card slightly from the design, because a) the smaller strips in our package were larger than on the model photo, and b) the instructions didn't specify how to stamp "seriously" on the bubble sticker to leave enough room for the strip.

The other thing that disappointed me a bit was the price going forward. The kits retail for $19.95 a month, which does include shipping at least, but that's almost $5.00 per card! I don't know about you, but that's not my usual price point! I think I will stick to ordering individual items from my Stampin' Up! rep and skip the Paper Pumpkin kits.

Now, I did say that this was an apples to pumpkins comparison, so of course I had to compare this to a CTMH kit.  I fell in love with the stamp designs in the Laughing Lola card kit as soon as I saw it in the new catalog, and I whipped up all the cards right away!

This kit made 15 cards, 5 each of 3 designs.  It included everything except adhesive, scissors, and ink.  The stamps also coordinate with one of the CTMH Cricut cartridges, but they are all shapes that are super easy to cut with scissors if you don't have the cartridge.

So, to compare prices, I will include the basic shipping cost with this one since it is included in the PP kit price, and I will ignore the Cricut cartridge price, since it is not required to complete the cards. I am not including tax in any calculations because it is different for everyone. There are two cost options here: one with ink pads, if someone is a new customer; and one without ink pads if the customer already had those colors (or something similar in their stash).

The kit itself is $24.95, ink pads are $5.25 each (the kit calls for 4 colors), and basic shipping is $4.95.  So, assuming you need to buy all 4 ink pads, the total cost is $50.90. If you don/t need any ink pads, the total cost is $29.90.  Option 1 has a cost per card of $3.39 and Option 2 has a cost per card of  $1.99.  Either way, I think I did a lot better than $5 per card, and I also had quite a bit of leftover product, including quite a few of the Purple Gems that are exclusive to the kit. 

I already used some of my leftovers on a scrapbook page here, and I'm looking forward to using the rest! Of course, I love the paper colors and patterns so much that I already ordered the scrapbook kit as well, to use with pictures of my teen/tween girls.

OK, before I leave, a quick look at the 3 card designs up close. The kit suggested sanding the edges of the papers in the kit, but I decided instead to do each card design a little bit differently.

This one I sanded as suggested - cute!

This one I distressed the papers with the edge distresser - still neat but not my favorite with this style.

And my absolute FAVORITE - ink sponging with a sponge dauber - LOVE it!!

Now, all that being said, there is a price promotion going on for the Paper Pumpkin right now if you think you want to try it. You can read about it on my friend Sue's website.  And of course if you are interested in any CTMH products, you can always find them on my website!

Borders, Borders Everywhere

Let me preface by saying that it is HIGH time I get myself in a Copic class.  I had one heck of a time coloring the face on this today, but I have vowed to practice more with them in the hopes that I will eventually learn to love them!

I've had very little crafty time lately, so I decided to enter a couple of challenges today so I would at least get to play a little before I dig in & get back to the drudgery of housework!  I based my card on a sketch for Which One Wednesday at the TGF Farm Fresh Challenge Blog, and opted to go all-in with some border strips for the Beautiful Borders Challenge in the Moxie Fab World.   Go check them out and you can play along too!

I love how she just happens to fit in the circle design so perfectly; like she's lounging around there.

I used the following supplies to make my card:

• Kraft card base
• Springtime papers from Echo Park
• Black and white cardstock
• Cheeky Rockabilly stamp from The Greeting Farm
• Copic markers
• Ribbon from the Animal Crackers Jack collection by Making Memories
• Border punches from (top to bottom) Martha Stewart Crafts, EK Success, Martha Stewart Crafts, & Stampin' Up!
• ATG adhesive, Scor-tape (for the bottom 2 borders), and foam pop dots

Shameless plug: the Echo Park papers, The Greeting Farm stamp, Copic markers, and all adhesives are available over at Cutters Creek!

Thanks for stopping by; I always love to read your comments!  If you feel so inclined, I would also love for you to become a follower (I also have email and reader options).

Royal Tea Bridal Shower Blog Hop

Once again, it's blog hop time!  Since we're starting a day before the royal wedding, we're declaring it a bridal shower, but we'll be here for two days of projects.  If you've arrived here from Theresa "The Scrapbooking Queen", you're in the right place.  If you're just starting out, you're welcome to head over to Cardmonkey's Paper Jungle and hop through the whole list.  When you're done here, you'll want to be sure and head over to Michelle at Queen of My Craft Room and see what she has up her sleeve!

 So, I mentioned the other day that my daughter is excited to get up early and see some of the hoopla surrounding the royal wedding.  I'm sure she's not the only one planning a "viewing party", so I thought I'd create a layout appropriate for scrapping the event!  (Remember to click on the photos to see them larger.)

Be sure to click on this photo to see the medallions I stamped on the background using Versamark ink!  Looks much better in person, lol.

This picture shows better detail on one of the stamped medallions and the way I cut my paper strips to follow the medallion's shape.  I cut my title using the Elegant Cake Cricut cartridge, and welded the font shadow using the Gypsy.  I added some self-adhesive gems for a little added bling.

Here's a closeup of my flag pennant banner and the cardstock strip I embossed using a Cuttlebug folder.  The gold string is actually 3 strands of DMC Light Gold Thread (282) braided together.  The flag pennants are part of a printable set from Lettering Delights, and the entire set is free through Saturday!  They also have matching SVGs and an alphabet, all on sale during Dollar Days, which ends TODAY.  The anchors for my banner are just gold brads, spaced at 1.75".

I used gold crowns to bookend the journaling block.  Since I wasn't totally sure where I was putting them, I made the crowns separately and adhered them to the CS later.  I stamped in gold ink on white vellum, heat embossed with gold embossing powder, and trimmed around the images with micro-tip scissors.   I added some self-adhesive gems to the crowns for a finishing touch.

Supplies used in this layout:

• red, white, and blue cardstock from my stash
• Cricut cartridge, Elegant Cakes, and Gypsy
• Cuttlebug embossing folder, Textile Texture
• Medallion Stamp, Stampin' UP!
• self-adhesive gems in clear, red, and blue; Close To My Heart
• gold brads
• DMC Light Gold Thread, #282
• British flag pennant printables, Lettering Delights (you can get lots of freebies just for creating an account; get more every Friday via their FB page!)
• Royal Birth stamp set, Close To My Heart
• Versamark and metallic gold stamp pads
• gold embossing powder and heat gun

Now, time for some blog candy!  I'm giving away two MyAcrylix stamp sets, Friendship and an exclusive mini stamp set, plus a 6x6 mini album in red (perfect for scrapping your Royal viewing party!).  In order to win, just leave comment on today's post.  I would love if you would become a Follower, but it is not a requirement to win!

Thanks for stopping by today - hope to see you back soon!  Now it's time to hop on over to Michelle at Queen of My Craft Room for her project.

Cricut Circle Weekly Challenge #15

I actually had time to complete this week's Circle Challenge!  Here are the rules:
"Brrrr! Winter is in full swing over many parts of the country . . . but even if it is warm where you are, you can use Winter-inspired elements to fuel your creative juices on your next Cricut project. We challenge you to incorporate white paint, metal, and a snowflake cut on your project this week.
Project must be newly created for this challenge and must include atleast 2 different cuts from any Cricut cartridge to qualify. This challenge is open to Cricut Circle Members only."

 

My two Cricut cuts are both from the Graphically Speaking cartridge.  I cut the regular snowflake at 3" from American Crafts glitter cardstock (this is currently my favorite "bling" product).  Then I cut the blackout snowflake at 3.25" from Grey Wool cardstock (all CS in this card is from Close To My Heart).  I changed the size in order to give a little more definition between the layers.  My Twilight CS panel was embossed using a Cuttlebug snowflake embossing folder.  Then, I painted a layer of white paint on the bottom of a shallow tray, and laid my embossed panel in it face down into the paint.

My sentiment stamp is from Unity Stamp Company, my stamping ink (in Twilight) is from Close To My Heart, and my metal washer-type eyelet is from Stampin' Up.

Fun with Imaginisce

OK, so I recently submitted to a DT call from Imaginisce.  They haven't notified anyone yet, but the rules didn't say anything about no sharing our work, so...  Here's a fun card I made with Apple Cider papers and a coordinating stamp.

I LOVE the little stamps from Imaginisce.  The best part is that they are simple enough to paper piece - NO coloring!  I did add a little Liquid Glass to his eyes to make them shiny.  This 6x6 card was super simple; just a little paper layering for a cute background for our furry little friend.  The tab at the top was punched with a Stampin' Up! punch.  The orange-y nail heads are adhered with my I-rock tool.

I'll be back tomorrow with another item from my submission.  And make sure to come back on Saturday anytime for the first Cutters Creek blog hop - it's a red & green weekend!

Tree-mendous Card

This is my card for this month's sketch challenge over at Rubber Stamp Chat.  The challenge is being hosted this month by Starving Artistamps, so I'm using an image from their Into the Woods stamp set, and my inside sentiment is from the matching  sentiments set.

This fun tree image has all kinds of little circles in it's branches, and they make the perfect place to put little buttons, brads, whatever.  I chose to give my tree a Fall feel, by using various sizes & colors of brads to fill in the circles.  I cut out my image using the out of the box technique.  I colored in my grass with Copic markers - 2 shades of green, a little brown, and the colorless blender.  I colored my sky with a blue watercolor crayon from Stampin' Up! and a water brush.  The patterned paper and ribbon are from Basic Grey's Mellow line, and all cardstock, stamping ink, and large gllitter brads are from Close To My Heart.

I'd love to see you participate in this month's sketch challenge, so head on over to Rubber Stamp Chat to play!

DPL Swap Spoiler - Valentine

SPOILER ALERT! If you're in Mandies Valentine scrapbook swap on Down Paper Lane, I am about to show my contribution. If you don't want to see, don't look any further!!

There, all covered! Now, on to my fun swap items. I signed up to do mini file folders, which I haven't done in a while, so I thought it would be a little challenge. I'm happy to say that this went so quickly, I got them all done start-to-finish yesterday. I know V-day is over, but since we scrapbook after the fact we can make stuff any old time!

Here's one set of completed folders. I used my Sizzix File Folder die to cut all the folders. Cardstock used is White, Blush (Close To My Heart), Hollyhock (CTMH), and Cherry Splash (Bazzil Basics Paper). Ink colors used are Blush (CTMH), Hollyhock (CTMH), Riding Hood Red (Stampin' Up!), and White Daisy pigment ink(CTMH). I also used white embossing powder with the white ink. Unless otherwise noted, stamped images are from the All My Love stamp set (CTMH).

For the top folder, I punched a 3/4" strip of white CS with the new Pinking Hearts Border Punch from SU! (This is available through 4/30 in their Occasions Mini catalog.) The square with the heart is cut from an old piece of patterned paper scrap, layered on Cherry Splash CS, and all covered with a square clear epoxy sticker. I then added a heart eyelet for a finishing touch.

For the center folder, I random stamped the entire front with a heart stamp from Anita's Rubber Stamps. I again used the Pinking Hearts punch, added some white grosgrain ribbon, and a Hollyhock nail head (snap). The square heart image is from a discontinued stamp set, but it is easily substituted by one in the All My Love set.

The final folder uses another leftover scrap of paper for the strip across the front. Mini brads are from Oriental Trading Company. The round image is stamped in Riding Hood Red on Blush CS, then covered with a round clear epoxy sticker.

I can see these lined up on a layout as shown here, or angled randomly across the bottom of a layout. I would probably use a photo turn in my page as a means to keep the folders closed that would allow them to be opened easily for viewing.

Thinking of You card - sketch challenge entry

I recently found out that an older friend is having some health problems and I want to send her a card to let her know I'm thinking of her daily. I knew the exact images I wanted to use, and remembered a great sketch I saw over at Rubber Stamp Chat for the monthly contest. This is what I came up with, and I thought it turned out beautifully.


Patterned papers are from the Basic Grey Lilykate collection. Glossy white CS is from Stampin' Up! Textured CS, Edge Anchor, dimensional adhesive, and all stamps are from Close To My Heart. Circle and scalloped circle were cut with the Cricut using the Plantin Schoolbook and Celebrations cartridges. I used the brayering technique on the glossy CS with a Kaleidacolor Baby Powder stamp pad, and embossed the butterflies with black embossing powder. I bent up the wings on both butterflies, and popped the right one up on dimensional adhesive.

Double Single Layout Share

Those of you who crop with me know that I almost never scrap single page layouts (I take far too many pictures). Usually only my title page and ending page get the single treatment. But, as luck would have it, we had a couple of Disney character shots that were definitely not enough (or exciting enough) to rate their own LO. I might not have scrapped them at all, but DH had a bit of a "thing" for Belle, and the creepy Baloo was worth writing about. So, here's what I did:

I chose a pattern from one of Jeanette Lynton's sketch books, and cut the papers for each page separately so the papers would fit the theme of each page. It took a little playing with the paper choices for the right page, or every piece would have been from different paper, but I managed to make it work.

"Belle" is from the Dreams Come True cartridge for the Cricut, and "Baloo" is from the Cuttin' Up cartridge. Photo corners were punched with the Stampin' Up! corner punch. All other products are from Close To My Heart. Some key page elements are popped off the page using dimensional adhesive squares and strips. (I used baby powder on the backs of the MyStickease designs AFTER adhering the dimensional adhesive so the rest would no longer be sticky.)

Free Cricut CUT File

I managed to squeeze in some time to play today, and created a vinyl phrase cut for our dining room/living room area. This area is right as you enter the house, and even though we don't use it much (we don't really have much furniture for these "extra" rooms yet!), I've been trying to decorate bit by bit. This wall is directly across the room from the front door, so people tend to look here first. I've wanted to fill in some space without adding more "stuff", so I've added some vinyl.


First, let me point out that I did NOT do the tree. I don't have that much patience, LOL! I bought that from my Stampin' Up! rep last month. It came in multiple pieces and it was a cinch to put up. I created the phrase in Deign Studio using the Lyrical Letters cartridge. "Together" is welded, and I will say that it was a bit of a challenge to get it on the transfer paper with all of those loops! The rest was much easier to place; I actually love that the transfer paper has a grid on it to help line up the letters. I've never used it for the smaller things I've done before, but it really came in handy here. The overall length of this phrase is about 40".

Now, on to what you really want: the CUT file! I've uploaded it to 4shared where you can download it for free. Here's the link: http://www.4shared.com/file/123183012/aedfce54/Together_LL_weld.html

Leave me some comments & let me know what you think! I like sharing this kind of thing, because the time involved seems more worthwhile if it gets used more than once!

Guilt Trip Photos

Wow, it's been over a month since I've added anything to the blog! I feel SO guilty! Probably like yours, our family has had a very busy July with little downtime for creating or blogging. We've been to a huge 4th of July celebration, a family reunion, blueberry picking, and a day at Chuck E. Cheese's (due to a weather-related zoo cancellation!). We also had a week of evening Bible School, and we got to drive the youngest to Speech once a week and hang around waiting for him.

So, to get over this guilt trip I've been on about not blogging, I treated myself to some scrapbook time over the last several days so I would have some new things to share here. I'm STILL scrapping our trip to Disney from last January, so that's what I've been working on. I almost have our adults-only day at Epcot finished finally, and here are the results of the last few layouts I've finished.

Here we have beautiful Germany, land of my ancestors! I used the Cricut Blackletter cartridge for the title. CS is from Close To My Heart, and patterned papers are from Daisy D's and Bo-Bunny. Crocheted flowers and all brads are also CTMH; paper flowers are Prima & unknown.

Up next is wonderful Italy! All papers are Heidi Grace from Fiskars (Wild Daisy Road). The title was cut using the Cricut Calligraphy Collection cartridge, Matrimony font. Scalloped border punch, swirly stamping wheel, and sparkly brads all from Stampin' Up!, and all other brads from Close To My Heart.

Lovely Japan! This LO uses REALLY OLD papers from Close To My Heart. So old, I don't even remember the name, and the images were punch outs instead of stickers. Also uses Circle Window Charms, and Edge Anchors from CTMH. The cute little Japanese girl is a clear stamp from Hero Arts, the ribbon is unknown, and the title is cut with the Cricut cartridge Caligraphy Collection, Inspiration Blackout font.


Finally, mysterious Morocco. You may notice this LO design looks familiar. I unintentionally used the same design as Germany, but they are far enough from each other in the album that I don't think most people would notice! CS is from Close To My Heart. The 2 patterned papers are from Basic Grey's Boxer line, as are the chipboard accents. Uses brads from CTMH, and the Believe upper & lower stamp sets from CTMH for the title. Notice my little arch I made? I used Cricut Design Studio to stretch an image from the Fabulous Finds cartridge so it mimics an architectural arch, and positioned the design and paper so it only cut into the bottom edge of my piece. (I was really pleased with how well this idea turned out!) I used Bamboo ink from CTMH for distressing and shadow effects for the archway.

Well, that's it for now. Hopefully, it won't be another month until I post again! School starts soon, and I finally have 2 of my 3 gone all day. Little man Drew will go to Preschool 3 mornings a week. We've yet to hear about Speech Therapy sessions from the school district; hopefully that can be scheduled the other two days so he's not completely overwhelmed with school!

Challenge Double Dip

This week I decided to combine two of my favorite challenges into one card. So, I'm using Kazan's sketch 25 from 2Sketches4You, and the Color Chef Challenge #4 over at KJ's Stamp Pad.

The colors for this week's color challenge are Baby Pink, Bubblegum, Watermelon, Black, and White Daisy. (Feel free to substitute if you don't have the exact shades of pink.) This week's sketch really inspired me with a theme. I love stars, especially for boys, but since the color challenge was all pinks I decided to see what I could do with it!

I made my card 6" x 6", and used only cardstock;
all of that patterned paper is stamped. I used a 6" x 12" piece of Watermelon textured CS for the card base, with the lighter tone on the inside of the card. I cut my White Daisy CS 5 3/4" square and used a Stampin' Up! jumbo wheel, Classic Stars, with Black ink. This was mounted directly to the card base.

Next I cut a 4 1/2" square of Baby Pink, and a 4 3/4" square of black. Using the circle of stars stamp from Circle Around (CTMH) and White Daisy pigment ink, I heat embossed the circles of stars first. Then I stamped the larger star from Circle Around in Bubblegum ink. The other two star images are from Good Times (CTMH), and are stamped in Watermelon and Black. I used the SU! Tag Corner punch on one corner then mounted it to the Black CS. I inserted a silver star brad in the open corner.

The smaller star is a Dimensional Element and die cut from CTMH, layered slightly off center. I cut the larger star from both chip board and Bubblegum CS using my Cricut with the George and Basic Shapes cartridge. I also cut the outer star only from acetate using the Cricut. Using Staz-On Jet Black, I stamped "Hooray" from the Good Times stamp set on the acetate. I then sandwiched the acetate between the CS and chip board, using Liquid Glass (CTMH) for adhesive.

I used dimensional foam strip adhesive to pop up the large star from the base, and added the smaller star on top.

I must say, this card looks much better in person than in the picture. The shadows cast by the ink on the acetate and the popped-up star make some great dimensional effects!

New Color Challenge - my entry

One of our creative Close To My Heart consultants has recently begun a fun color challenge on her blog. I missed out on the first week because I was too busy with Easter prep, but I jumped right in on this week's challenge.

You can play too, even if you don't have the CTMH colors called for; just use something similar you already own. This week's color challenge uses Sorbet, Tulip, and White Daisy (I added Chocolate to my color palette). If you're a Stampin' Up! user, I recommend substituting Ruby Red, Cameo Coral, and Whisper White.

Here's my card, a sneak preview of our May Stamp of the Month, Be Yourself. I also use the Argyle Backgrounds stamp set.

I based my card on the "Upright" sketch from Originals, a 3.5 x 8 inch card. I just twisted my image squares to give a little more playful feeling, otherwise I used the exact sketch measurements and design.

Because I had so much going on, I limited my embellishments to color coordinated brads in Sorbet and Tulip, and teeny tiny Sparkles rhinestones on two of the images.

I carried my design and color scheme inside the card as well. I simply stamped my interior image in Tulip to make it stand out more, and the sentiment in Sorbet. I added a strip of my argyle background on a Chocolate base to the bottom of the card interior just for some design repetition.

Please post a link to your card in a comment; I'd love to see your designs! If you'd like to visit the KJ's Stamp Pad to follow her color challenge yourself, visit her here.

Remember, this stamp set is not available until May 1st. If you have any other questions regarding the Close To My Heart products used here (or in any of my other posts), just leave a comment or drop me an email at thebrowns@earthlink.net. If you'd like to shop for products used here, visit the online shopping portion of my website!

Spring Ahead

I'm saving my sanity and leaving the nasty weather behind! I joined a Spring page kit swap and have been spending time creating some fun items to send in my swap kit. After the first item, I was liking it so much I'm making a second set for me! In order to share my good time, here are some pictures of my swap items, as well as some brief instructions for how things were made.

Title was cut using my Cricut and the Calligraphy Collection cartridge. I used Dutch Blue and Amethyst textured cardstock, and some hand dyed cardstock for the letters. (I'll explain how I did that below.) I edged the Amethyst CS with Hydrangea ink and a glue pen, and glittered it. I added grommets to the holes and tied ribbon through.

I decided it,s not so much my style after I finished it, so I did not make a second one. I'll have to come up with something a little different for myself!

All of the stamps used are from Close To My Heart's March stamp of the month, Butterfly Wings. These are now my favorite butterfly stamps (and I have several, lol). I created these gorgeous specimens using more of my hand dyed paper (directions below). First, I stamped the image using Hydrangea ink. I used a brighter ink than what I wanted because the glitter will mute the color somewhat. Next I cut out my image, leaving just a tiny bit of border. Then I stamped the image again using a Tsukineko Glue Pad, then glittered it. (FYI, the glitter sticks better if you press it into the glued image with your fingers.) Finally, I added a little rhinestone to the head. These little beauties will make some great dimensional accents!

Here's a journaling box I made using the same hand-dyed paper and Dutch Blue CS. I stamped using Petal ink, except the butterfly, where I again used Hygrangea. I added white photo hangers and ribbon for interest. Scalloped edge is made with a border punch from Stampin' Up!

Hand Dyed Paper Instructions
To dye my own paper, I first made my own alcohol ink wash. I used dye based reinkers, rubbing alcohol, and spray misters. The spray misters come in a 3-pack and are usually sold where they sell stamping ink. I made blue and purple, putting several drops of reinker in a mister then filling it with alcohol. After putting the sprayer in, I gave it a little shake to mix. I laid white cardstock on some newspaper and sprayed the CS until I got the colors I desired. The paper will curl some, but you can lessen this by ironing it with a craft iron and laying something heavy on it for a while.

For this photo mat, again I just used some of my hand-dyed paper, and backed it with Dutch Blue CS. The corners are really a Close To My Heart Edge Anchor, split in half. I used baby blue brads instead of the matching ones from the Edge Anchor package, and added some rhinestones as well.

Here's my favorite thing, glittered pattern paper! (We use 6x6 in these swaps to save postage.) I used the hand dyed paper, and stamped Hydrangea butterflies and Dutch Blue swirls. I then restamped the images with the glue pad and glittered them. Be sure to only do a few at a time or the glue will dry before you get the glitter on!

For my final item, I hand stamped some ribbon to match. It was so fun! I remembered I had some Fabrico fabric ink in light purple, so I stamped the smallest swirl from this set and the word "Spring" from another set. I heat set the stamping with my iron.

Let me know if you need better instructions for anything! All Close To My Heart Products are available on my website loribrown.myctmh.com under the online shopping link. If you need help locating other products, hust let me know!

Sanity

I don't know about you, but I tend to be lazy when I'm creating, whether it's in the kitchen or the craft room. I don't want to have to guess at how I did something when I try to do it again. When I make cards and scrapbook layouts I tend to use a lot of sketch "recipes". But, sometimes, I'll design something myself, and like it enough that I'll want to repeat it in the future.

So, I've decided to create my own recipe book for my sketches. I'm storing them on the computer, but since I'm a hands-on kind of gal, I'll also be printing them to include in an organized binder. This will also make them super easy to take with me to crops like my other sketch books.

Now that Christmas is over and my cards are finally mailed, I thought I'd share my card design with you. The final product was changed somewhat as being too labor intensive for me to complete with all of the other holiday-related hoopla I had going on, but they were pretty similar. Feel free to use my sketch for your own use, but please do not share it in any way, other than to pass on a link to it here.

So, here's my prototype card:

In the end, I didn't sand my cardstocks to distress them and I opted to leave the red presents plain. Just didn't have time for the cutting, adhering, and sanding! Plus, most of the people on our list wouldn't have noticed. I also ran out of ribbon toward the end, so I just left that off on some.

All products/stamps used are from Close To My Heart, except the card bases, which came in a bulk pack from Michaels' (I think). I used the stamp set from the September card kit promotion and the Grinch quote from the Peace on Earth sayings stamp set.

The scalloped border was made using a corner rounder punch and mini hole punch. Would have been faster for my assembly line process if I'd had the Stampin' Up! scallop border punch; guess that's on my list of things to get...



Now, here's the sketch I created:

I just use MS Word and create a table of the size of my design. For a card, I can go full-scale. If I were designing a scrapbook page, I would go half-scale. I make enough columns & rows so I have one square per quarter inch.

These card bases were 5" x 6.5", so I had 20 columns and 26 rows. For rectangles, it's easy to highlight the cells and use the "merge cells" feature to "draw" them. I then used the line tool and the oval tool for other pieces. Since it's not always exact or perfect, I add text with the actual sizes of each piece and other little bits of info.

If you'd like to try this and need more help setting up your table, just contact me. I'm happy to help try and walk you through it.