My First Challenge!!

Today I finally had the nerve to complete my very first color challenge - Raspberry Suite #13! Note to self - learn how to use blogger so I can upload the challenge color photo! :)

I wanted to participate last week but didn't have any of the colors. Thankfully, my Stampin' Up order came yesterday and everything I used came in my new box (except the white ribbon and the red buttons.) I used the new "Thoughts and Prayers" set, certainly celery cardstock and ink, and rose red cardstock (that was the closest I could get to the idea of berry without going too far into orange territory.)

Anyway, this was a great first for me and I hope to participate in many more!! Thanks Dawn!

Aloha

I know, I know...one day after I talk about my European inspiration, I make a card that speaks to the tropics.

I bought the ribbon and the hibiscus stamp set before we left on vacation and just purchased the bamboo cardstock (from the "Travel" stack) on Friday. Voila! I hope you enjoy this little card as much as I do!! If only it matched one of the challenge color palates...

Inspiration

I can't believe how long it has been since I've posted and have sold several more cards in the meantime!

Crafting was on the back-burner pretty much for the month of June as we had a lot of personal commitments, work was crazy, and we were readying ourselves for our amazing trip to Europe!

We toured all over the north - from Amsterdam to Copenhagen, to Sweden, through Germany, and finally Berlin where we stayed at a hotel in the former East Berlin! I still can't believe it has been 20 years since the wall came down! I was an international relations major in college so we were all glued to our tvs!

We've been back a couple of days now and I'm itching to craft. Right now the table in the office has been re-purposed as the souvenir sorting table - all of the goodies from our trip are waiting to be lovingly gone through and having the moment of purchase fondly remembered.

At some point in the near future, I will start creating cards inspired by our trip. For now, I am practicing my scissor work in the living room. Thankfully all of that stuff is relatively small and easily transported. But, I am wondering what to do with all of the little cutouts - I am definitely running out of space for all of my card-making goodies! What a blessing!

Fully Customized

This graduation card was the first commission I've had to date as a card maker - a friend wanted me to make a graduation card for her cousin. Since I don't have a graduation stamp set, I panicked a bit but knew my sister was coming for a visit and had one I could borrow! Check!

The only instructions I had was that it was for a guy so don't make it girly. I think that was a commentary on most of what I do - I'm kinda all about the bows and glittery paper lately. Well, I tried a few things on guy-blue paper and metallic brads. Nice but not good enough. The next day I thought of what I should have thought of when I agreed to make the card - what are his school colors? Well, when I heard green, yellow, and black, the card you see popped immediately to mind. Long story short, she loved it and I hope the recipient loves it too. I'm sure I'll hear something on Monday.

Sold!

I made my first sale on Saturday - one of my favorite cards, too! I've been selling a few things on eBay lately, so getting a payment to my PayPal account isn't such a strange occurrence, what was strange was the fact that I didn't have any auctions ending and the payment was for an odd amount. I thought for a minute and realized I had sold my first card!

I have no idea who the buyer is, but thank you! I've sent my Etsy shop link to a few friends and have it posted on a couple of networking sites I belong to, but really have no idea how this person from Minnesota found me.

I sent out the card on Tuesday after the holiday and haven't gotten feedback yet. I sure hope she likes it and am curious to see what the public (not my friends and family) thinks of my work. I'll let you know!

I've been on a bit of a draught lately - my job has had my candle burning on both ends and my husband and I are in the final stages of planning our big trip to Europe - so I haven't been to the drawing board until last night. I got three sets of Nestabilities which I have been dying to play with and so I did. You can see on my flickr the two new cards I made with the new die cuts - the elephant and the sage/pink "best wishes."

I'm not sure what will be next. I'm curious about gift tags and have had fun making a few for personal use. Maybe a set or two for Etsy and I really want to use some of the new patterned paper I have. I really need some colored ink pads and am looking forward to the new Stampin' Up! catalog that is coming out July 1st. I'm desperately trying to make due with what I have until we get back from our trip. Seriously, too, I could just use what I have and make cards for a long time, but what is the fun in that? :)

I've Been Bitten

by the Cuttlebug!

I was first introduced to die cuts back in my scrapbooking days. Most of what I had available was pre-cut shapes sold by Creative Memories and in craft stores like Michaels. My step-mom, Diane, actually introduced me to the cutting part of die cuts when she took me to a teacher's supply room and, armed with a ton of our scrap paper, used the school die cut machine and went to town! It was great fun and I still have a lot of the die cuts we made that day, awaiting special use in one of my card creations!

Now that I've gotten into card making, I've seen die cutting and embossing reach new heights with ultimate control given to crafters in the form of lightweight, portable, tabletop machines. My first experience with one was at one of my Stampin' Up! demonstrator's workshops when we got to use the Big Shot (SU's product) - it was fabulous but pricey and I thought I'd start checking out options. I hadn't ruled out the Big Shot but did a comparison online and it seemed that the Cuttlebug had a smaller footprint and more embossing options. So, I ordered the machine and a few dies/embossing folders and thought I'd give it a whirl.

Well, the whirl started tonight and what a whirl it is! I was a little intimidated when the box arrived from Joann's - it was huge! The 'Bug box was much smaller but still really heavy and I wasn't sure what I was in for. I finally got it home (on my scooter) and opened up tonight and it was so easy! Easy and with super results! It takes up a tiny footprint on my crafting table and the dies will compliment my card making in the most amazing ways!

Now I just need to figure out how people die cut actual cards - is it a really large die folded in half? Off to experiment!

Crafting

I am so excited to finally have a craft blog!

I've been spending a lot of time lately getting myself ready to "share my art with the world" and I think I'm finally there. I've started a shop on Etsy (ImCrafty) on which I have sheepishly listed a few items. Big thanks to my husband who is an amazing photographer, web developer, support system, and my best friend. He has been a wonderful encouragement in this new hobby of mine.

Reading craft blogs feels like a second job these days (I work full time as an IT Auditor) and I've found a ton of artists and small shops that really seem to love, cater to, and honor the craft of card making! This has provided me endless hours of entertainment and even more hours brainstorming.

I hope to one day join in Kristina Werner and Dawn McVey's Color Challenges, Ten Minute Mondays, and the Hero Club contests. Until then, I am in awe of your creativity and aspire to one day craft in your league.