All Paper Arts

I have to admit I am very thankful for laptops and the internet today. If I had to write this blog by hand today I probably would have gone back to bed and cried. I just changed doctors and had to get a tetanus shot on Monday. I couldn't remember when the last time I had one was but I knew it was over 10 years. I should have listened when the nurse said optional. My left arm really, really (did I say really?) hurts. I thought I had gotten off lucky when I didn't even feel the prick of the needle. Nobody bothered to warn me that I would be in so much pain. It's not a pain as bad as a cut but that atleast that pain goes away. Instead it feels like my arm has been a sleep for a year and it doesn't want to move. Kind of like when you get the sudden urge to bench press when you haven't done any kind of weights in at least a year!

Okay, on to paper arts. Here is a scan of one of my favorite Valentine cards. I designed and made this last year for card party. I know what you are thinking but it really isn't as complicated as it looks. I started off with a 10" x 7" piece of cream cardstock. With the long side positioned horizontal I folded in almost 2 1/2" on both sides. That then gives you the "doors". I stamped each door with two different 1 1/2" stamps using burgundy ink. (There is no wrong or right way to stamp it just however you want). I cut a burgundy heart with one of my sizzilit dies. I then adhered one side of the heart to one door. Using a ribbon hole punch (it is a rectangle instead of a circle but you can use a classic hole punch) I punched two holes in the heart. On the other door I punched another hole lining it up with the hole on the heart. Then I threaded an 8" piece of ribbon through the holes. Tip start by threading it through the front of the door with the heart and then back through the other door. When you have finished the inside just tie the bow for the presentation.

The inside of the card is very simple. I just matted 3 pieces of paper on top of each other. On mine the top piece of paper is a petal paper, the second piece of paper is more cream cardstock stamped with the same stamps used on the front of the card, and then the biggest piece of paper on the bottom is a burgundy cardstock. The heart die I used actually makes a negative and a positive (or two hearts) the solid heart I used on front and then the scalloped heart frame I used on the inside. You can use stickers, a heart punch, or cut your own hearts if you don't have a die cut.

This card really comes out looking so very elegant in person. I appreciate every one being patient with me. I am still new and still experimenting on the best way to load pics for the blog.
click image for larger image of hole punches in heart

The water almost overflowed, my daughters legs mysteriously grew and the jumper she just wore last week was to short, my husband woke up 20 minutes late, and my youngest daughters skirt had a hole. Do you have these kind of mornings? I have 3 meetings today after I drop off the girls and then they have choir right after school. Needless to say this isn’t a long post today. Luckily, I’ll feel guilty and write more today. Its times like this when I feel like it is our sign that we need to remember ourselves and do something for us only. Which is why tonight after all my little ones in bed I am going to go paper happy and create my not little booty off! I can’t wait to show you what I do.

Here are a couple of pics of what I made for the Card Party this Saturday. Sorry the pictures aren’t better. I tried taking pictures but with darp paper it was hard to get a good picture. This was scanned. I hope the more and more blogs I make the better I’ll get with all the technical stuff.

I bought the packages of candy bars that have about 8 candy bars in them. These were Mocha Kit Kats. I wrapped the candy bar with pink polka dot paper and then a thinner pastel striped paper that I embossed using cricut embossing folders. I used the Bumble Bee and Bunny embossing folders. The candy bars went inside of the chocolate brown pouch. The pouches were 4″X4″ that were folded in half. I then punched holes on both sides and laced ribbon through the holes. On one side is a circle that has been stamped and then has a silver heart brad. On the other side is a square piece of paper stamped “I Heart” so you can write down the person the Valentine is for. I think these came about pretty cute and hope my Card Party friends enjoyed making them. I am pretty sure at least on of my girls will probably make these or smaller versions for their class valentines. I hope you enjoy this idea. I’d love to see other people’s versions of this idea.

As promised I am writing today about some of my very favorite paper arts gadgets. These are all items I could probably find a way to live without but as my DH says about his many hobby items “I don’t wanna live without it”

Paper trimmer. I have to have a paper trimmer it just makes life so much easier. I actually bought two of my girls’ trimmers for Christmas. So they’d stop using mine! There are some monster trimmers out there I would just love but I can’t justify getting them right now. Much less where I would put them. My paper trimmer can cut anything 12×12 and under. It has an arm that swings out which is very important. Also, this arm keeps it easy to take with me. It is thin and light enough to put in my XXL crop tote.

My diecut machines. Yes, machines, I have a regular size one and a sidekick size. I love all the dies I can buy for them and I do buy dies from different manufacturers as well. These I use especially for projects with my girls classes.

My eyelet setter. I have several different kinds my two favorites are the eye-let which you just pull the top like a spring then it hits the paper and paper and either makes a hole or sets your eyelet. It is much quieter then pounding a little hammer. It usually works in one pop. It has taken me a while to finally get it to work right. What I really loved about this is my mom got it for me for my birthday and she got it from a shopping channel (she went to their website to find it my mom isn’t one to sit and watch shopping channels). It came with a little plastic case to keep the setter and all the tips in, along with a butt load of eyelets in different shapes and colors. The case has room for all the eyelets, too. Cool huh? My very favorite eye setting machine is the crop-o-dile. I had seen this for almost a year but I was weary of getting it. I was sure it was going to be to hard to squeeze. Then one of my card lady friends bought one and brought it to a card party. She loves it some much she bought one for a Holiday Gift Exchange we had. If I had known what was in the bag I would have been fighting tooth and nail for it. I didn’t win it….but my mom did!!! What great luck!! Plus my wonderful mom knowing how much I wanted one (since I had been talking about it for so long) traded me my gift for it. This was difficult because it was a gift certificate to Blue Mesa but I really wanted the crop-o-dile. That is the best trade I have ever made. It punches through layers like butter. It sets eyelets with out a tear. It is so simple, soft touched, and quiet you are sure it didn’t work but sure enough it did. I still kick myself for not buying one a year ago when I saw it but I am glad it all worked out in the end. The only thing is make sure the eyelet setter part is flat on both sides. I took my to Friday Clubs today and the smallest part fell off the eyelet setter part. When you sqeeze the handle it close all three parts at the same time even if your just using one.

My big shape punches. I have two punches that I really love and work really well for mass production (like for card parties or classes). Both of them are double punches so they have two of the same shapes one slightly larger then the other. This works really well for matting. I have the large squares and the large circles punches. I have the small squares punch too but I find it to little for most things.

I am sure I am missing a lot more of my gadgets and I am glad they are all inanimate objects so their feelings can’t get hurt. For now those are my top picks. I know the minute I go back to re-organizing my craft room/area I will find another “don’t want to live without item”. What items can you live without but don’t wanna? I’d love to know.

Here is a picture of my card party tote. I still need to add some paper to it but I think this helps you have an idea. It not only helps keep my stuff organized it keeps me organized, too.

This Saturday is our February Card Party. I love card parties. I love seeing everyone’s ideas and making them. I love seeing my friends whom a lot of I only see once a month. When I have to miss a party I’m just not the same all month long. I feel the same about my MOMS study and book club every Tuesday. However, card parties are extra special. Not only is this a chance for me to be creative it is a chance to just relax and see how everyone else is doing. This is how our card parties work.

Usually, at the previous month’s party we decide what the theme if any the next month’s card is going to be. For instance this month is either Valentine or whatever you want. Most people will probably do Valentines. This is great because it is early enough we can get ideas or learn techniques that we can use to make even more Valentines once we get back home. After the “host” gets all of the RSVP’s, usually no later then the Wednesday before the party, she emails everyone a head count. The head count is really important because it gives us an idea of how much material we need. SO if we have 12 people planning on coming then I know after I design and make my card I need to have enough materials for 11 more cards. In most cases we go ahead and cut what ever needs to be cut so it cuts down on timing and also so we know we have enough to everyone. This is important with ribbon because sometimes a roll of ribbon you buy might not go as far as you thought it would.

After you have decided on your card and have enough materials then you collect everything you need. Some of us use plastic shoe boxes, baskets, or the little plastic totes with handles. Whatever you use it needs to have enough room to hold all of your materials. It also should be small enough and flat on the bottom so that it can be on the table and be passed around easily. Usually the host will also have some plastic baskets to put materials in if you don’t have one. Most of us use rubber stamps for our cards. So you need to make sure you have all the ink pads, marker/pencils, stamps, paper, and any embellishments in your basket. This includes tools. If you used a hole punch or stapler on your card then you need to bring that, too. Make sure to bring your cards or whatever your item is. Sometimes people may choose a bag or box instead of a card. A good rule of thumb is if your card needs an envelope that you make sure to bring envelopes.

Once we get to the party we all find a spot to put our card stuff. This usually isn’t the same place you are going to sit. We also usually each bring something to eat. While we are waiting for everyone to get to the party we are catching up with everyone and snacking. After everyone is there and it is time to get serious we all find a spot to sit.

At the table it is good to have something to stamp on. This can be the thin cardboard that comes with a pack of 12X12 paper or a giant piece of manila paper or anything that is at least 12×12 that is okay to get dirty. Also, you need rubber stamp cleaner and stamp cleaner pads. A lot of us like to use old tube socks they are really good to rub the ink off. You can also put a plate with some damp paper towels down. Anything, to get the stamp clean. Please make sure to clean any stamps you used before placing it back in its basket. Oh and little trash bags are great. Brown Paper Lunch bags cut down or folded down work good. You want about 1 bag per 2 or 3 people.

Okay, so let’s start. First thing everybody does is to start working on the card that is in the basket where they are sitting. The completed card everybody made at home is the sample so you go by that for directions. After you are finished making a card you keep the ones you make and switch baskets with someone else until you have made all the cards. At a party with 12 people you will make 11 cards and leave with 12 (remember the sample you made is your card). It is about that time we have some dessert as we clean up.
Just sitting here writing about card party has me all excited and I am defiantly more motivated now to get my sample done. I just have to decide which stamp set if any I want to use. I also got some great sizzix dies for Christmas from my DH. So I am trying to figure out if I want to incorporate or save one or the other for next time.
Remember there are never too few people for a card party. And as they say there is always a reason for a party!