cards – SparklyTurtle Creations (and Ramblings)

Halloween is upon us and my cards are still here

Okay, so this is why I don’t do a lot for the holidays. Heck, I didn’t even give out the cards, although, I guess I still have the chance.

If nowhere else, they will make it here. Happy Halloween, everyone!

The ultimate plan – updating everything starting with photos

Okay, so I am updating it all. I took a class from April (who is @creativeapples on Twitter) at Craft Fancy. We worked on me learning to get better photos of my jewelry to help sell items better on etsy. So, I sat down and started retaking all the shots for the items that I had posted, and the new items that I have yet to post (cuz posting is a drag). Strangeness happens that this is also the time when my listings have expired, so right now the shop is open. I have relisted two items with their new and improved photos.

Next step is that I am going into my Flickr account and removing the crap photos and adding in the good ones. I often send people a link for Flickr, so that they can see what I have made in the past as well as currently. This would make me believe that I should probably put the better photos on there, so people actually see something good and consider going further.

Third step is to go through iPhoto and remove the crap ones and only leave the good photos. So, I am going to be streamlining the process with one or two pieces at a time.

Oh, and due to getting a nice interest rate of 12 months no interest, I also updated my camera today to the Canon Powershot SD4500 IS. It is spiffy. Of course, I am noticing that through the clearer photos, some of my items need some fixing up or discounted cost. Sheesh. It is always something. Makes me think about how the newscasters felt when their shows went HD and every flaw on their faces were now visible to the world. Yeah, it is kind of like that.

when creativity sucks, take a class

So, my creativity was on one of those lulls that just has you frustrated as you sit down at your craft desk and stare. I set this place up, I have the new apartment, so now where the hell is my creativity.

I took the watercolor class at Archiver’s, which sparked the Valentine’s day cards that I had made when Caitlin was over, but this time I went over to Craft Fancy to take a class by Martha Bonneau, where we made this awesome altered book.

I need to learn to create outside the lines, so this was an awesome experiment. I am going to try to continue to create in this book without measuring (much) before setting it up.

I was also proud of myself for being able to make a card in about 30 minutes during my lunch break on Friday. My friend has been home recovering for too long, so who can stay unhappy when presented with rainbows and ice cream?

I used an idea from CPS 104.

I am starting to get the grasp of using a sketch once in awhile to spark something.

I also have gotten going on an order for some cards and a journal. The cards are going to take some thought, but when I came across this cute kitty paper at Archiver’s, I was sparked.

Plus, I came across these adorable American Craft Thickers, which seemed to keep the idea of the fun going.

Finally, for my last piece, I was back in the altering mood. My friend Anne recently got me interested in Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, which has these awesome perfumes. You can get larger bottles or little samples, which they call imps. Anne gave an initial dose in an Altoid tin, but when I found a similiar tin at Archivers (by Art Bin, I think), I had to nab it to alter, so I came up with this. Oddly enough, I did not plan to use quite so much Stickles, but due to a clog and then a burst of glitter, I couldn’t let it go to waste. I think it worked, though. I love how the alcohol inks worked. I just hope that I don’t end up scratching any of it off.

In the meantime, when not crafting. I just finished Patricia Brigg’s Bone Crossed and have just started on Stephenie Meyer’s Host. I have really been loving the reading and crafting thing lately.

Well, off to watch Chuck and Heroes. Gotta love Mondays!

Finally got back to making things

So Caitlin paid a visit last night, and I officially had a crafting night. Rock on! I am feeling inspired again.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

I made up of V-day cards for people – planned and randomly given.

It is fun. I picked up this stamp at Craft Fancy and it seemed like something I would like for the day – not overly lovey but just a touch. I watercolored the little guys in different colors so that none of the group was the exact same.

Next (well, actually first), I also made up a card order. They are similar thank you cards, but while the design is the same, the colors are different. Made two of each variation for the set.

Definitely something to be said about collections of paper – color matching is easier.

Hope they are liked by their recipients.

Finishing big tasks

It feels amazing to be done with a large order. I took it on and now it is done. 50 cards for a church thing and then 10 other cards… that is quite the pile up. One thing that did make it easier is how she picked items out of my Flickr layout. At least then, I just had to make something similar. It is like having premade sketches.

I did try a different technique on one of the fairy cards by using my chalks over the embossing ink. It made it the same, but really pretty in a different way.

I also decided to finally take a picture of the space I usually paper craft. Sure, there is a larger table space but it isn’t near all of my stash, so I end up working on a tv tray near the setup. Yeah, it is cramped and needs a change, so when I finally get to move out, this will change.

Oh, and lastly, I decided to make kind of an art journal… just a way to express, so I can explore creativity and the crap floating around in my head. I decided to take something from the Big Ass Book of Crafts and add it to my first try. Here it is:

Having a crafty evening

So, I decided to have a crafty evening and spend my time down in my basement with the television on and surrounded by my fortress of crafty stuff. I managed to put together some of my redone yearbook scrapbook pages, which I can’t load here, since they are of people and have names on it. Not that I wouldn’t love to share, but blurring out most of the page just doesn’t make sense.

Then, since it is both of my aunt’s birthdays in the next week, I decided to make two birthday cards for them, but happened to get in spired to just make some other blank ones.

(birtday card one)

(birthday card two)

I decided to see what would happen if I embossed this one with a white/glitter powder on black. Actually very cool, I just wish the camera would have picked up more of the glitter.

Here I used that technique again (from birthday card two), where I also stamped the dress on patterned paper and raised it up with foam dots. I think it looks neat with the continuation of the pattern from the mat.

Finally, I had to clean up my paper supplies and weave together a bracelet, which only needs a clasp. I am actually a bit impressed with myself, and after all that, I am actually posting these items when they are made. Who knew?

Trying to keep busy

Beyond finishing up the 40 invitations for my brother’s wedding, I am working on a collection of 50 cards for a church outing. What is up with these huge projects, even though they are cool to finish. I need to take some pictures so I can post them.

For fun, I made a card, which I, of course, immediately put in an envelope and sent out to a friend as a RAK. I also made this new LO for my little fluffy face (the “f” in face seems to get a little lost, but it is there). It makes me smile when I think of how she will look when her hair grows back from her summer trim.

I am also including two cards I made a little while ago, one of which uses that cool corner punch, which I may start using more. The cake is Cuttlebug die cut and the sentiment is a rub on.

Oh, and although I don’t have a snapshot of it, since it went into the envelope, can I just say how cool Maya Road rub-ons are. They are smooth and come right onto the paper how you want them to. There isn’t any shifting or difficulty, and what is left looks awesome. I highly recommend them. I was introduced to them at the local store Craft Fancy. Very cool place.

What I have been up to

Well, I finally finished my new craft box that I plan to use to organize my stamps and miscellaneous items. I got the box from IKEA and planned on decorating it for months. Finally I did it. Okay, working with balsam wood sucks. I had serious splinters, but I guess you get what you pay for. Once it was together that wasn’t such a problem. I mod podged the paper on and gave it a bit of a classic look. I am always looking for ways to use those stacks of paper (you know… the massive ones that make so much sense at the time), and this seemed like a nice way to do it. The colors all go well together, and if it gets botched up, then it wasn’t my expensive paper. I absolutely love American Crafts Thickers, so those are what I used to create my words. I used rub ons for the paisley and smaller flowers, but the larger flowers took some creating. I used chip board flowers and coated them with three coats of gold acrylic paint. On the third coat, while it was still wet, I sprinkled the gold glitter on. After brushing off the extra and letting it dry, I sealed it with glossy mod podge so that the glitter won’t end up everywhere. I am quite happy with how it all turned out. It might even have been worth the splinters.

Last Friday, I also went to an evening crop with my friend Caitlin at the local Archivers. Those are a blast. I need to learn to pack better, so I am not taking too much, but I really think that I am actually improving. Plus, I am getting better on using what I have and not spending oodles of bucks that I don’t have while I am there. Now, I know that isn’t the best for Archiver’s, but they get my cash at other times. Anyway, I was happy to create 6 out of the 10 cards my grandmother was ordering from me. Look here:

This one has an Asian motif. I outlined the blue flowers with a glitter marker to give them a little stand out, which you can see here:

This one has a nice touch of sparkle and glitter. Where can you go wrong with that? Okay, you can, but that is way over my level.

I was excited about this one. I finally got the stamp to work all the way across. The fact that I had this on glossy paper just creates a nice accent to the rest of the textured paper.

This was my first working attempt at the Versamark resist. It is so shiny and smooth on the glossy paper. My first real attempt used pigment ink instead of the dye ink. Beyond being messy, it had the color of poo-brown when things blended together. Not something that you really want for your cards. The Kaleidescope dye ink pads are really nice. I now have one, but I can definitely see myself collecting more of those.

Another resist card on the glossy. This time, I decided to have my message in the stamps and the pop out being more of the art. My grandmother was going to send this as a thinking of you card, which I quickly stopped. Nothing like seeing a pretty card without your glasses and not realizing that thank you so much is all over the card.

This one turned out classy. It was a little boring until I decided to add the rhinestones the sides of the circles. Once that was done, I think it has an air of classiness. I definitely like the texture of the cardstock.

Well, guess I will catch up with more later.
You know what Friday is??? It is bead mecca. My annual pilgrimage to Milwaukee for the Bead and Button show. I can’t wait… 8 hours of wandering through beady goodness. It is like Christmas in June. I am so excited.

Cards for my aunt

So, I am making some cards at the request of my aunt. Hopefully, she will be able to wow some of her peers into purchasing cards, which would be awesome. I tried to go with a couple of styles, so that I am not just doing my cartoonish, fun style. I want to be taken seriously and have my cards purchased. I would actually like to make a bit of money back from the creation of these cards. I don’t know… that always makes me nervous of going back to the questions of, ‘Do they like me?’ and ‘Do they think I am creative?’ I guess I will just have to wait. Anyway, here are the cards.

The first two are get well. I used the cuttlebug embossing plate across the two edges and then filled in the inside gap with the layering and message.
The second one has the tree silouette stamp and has Distress Ink surrounding the stamped image, which picks up the color in the DCWV paper.

The second set are birthday. The first has the owl from Sun Spirit Studios and is on an embossed by CB. The ribbon is from Michael’s and I chalked some of the message and added to brads to the corners. The color wasn’t the best on my scan, but the orange in the brads is nice with the orange on the card.

The other birthday wish is cool, I think. The paisley paper is Basic Grey. The fairy stamp and rhinestones make this feel very light and dreamy. The ribbon along the top has the same colors and the paisley.

Next, were the two thank you cards. The first is stamped and then watercolored in. It is accented with ribbon from Michaels.

Then the last was stamped and colored in with Prismacolor markers. The statement is from My Favorite Things and the rhinestones are a nice accent on the corner. The blue cardstock is texturized from DCWV.

I have been trying to keep busy. I December, I went to a 12 hour crop at Archiver’s (once upon a time, I didn’t think I would have enough to work on in 12 hours – so not true) and I made a cool organizer from a Making Memories Desktop Storage set and Basic Grey paper with embellishments.

Well, when I brought it home and showed Mom, she said that the only thing wrong with it was that there wasn’t another one for her. Okay… so, I got another set up for it and made one for Mom. I have to say, I love American Craft’s Thickers. Of course, the ones that I put on Mom’s got a little washed out, so I am going to take a marker and kind of outline them to bring them out.

I also have started to take part in swaps over at Split Coast Stampers. It is kind of nice to make something and know that it is going somewhere. So I made these cards for a birthday swap. I also am doing a no bumps swap, but I don’t have pictures of those.

Lastly, I am starting up a pretty scrapbook for just pictures and fun (8×8). I like the idea of not always having a theme and sometimes creating just for the sake of creating, so I made this one of Zoey and her new coat. I like to think of her as the caped crusaders, the way it kind of seems to fly on her back. She is so adorable. I am not stopping the Beloit remake of my scrapbook/yearbook (12×12), but this one is more for fun.