Card Classes and Cards for Men

June 2017 card class.  There's a reason I don't purchase two (or three or four) step stamp sets.  Lining up the stems and flowers is not my strong point, and when there are others waiting to use the materials for the card, there's not always time to use the MISTI to make things perfect.  I bought the stamp and die bundle for the aqua flower in the center card, and it's been perfect for wedding, birthday, anniversary, and sympathy cards.  

July 2017 class.  There's another card using a two-step stamp set up there...the one with the tulips which are sort of artsy with their more-or-less aligned parts.

August 2017 class.   I don't have any of the products use for these cards, but can easily use many of the ideas and sketches.  My favorites are the five along the bottom.

More cards for guys, mostly those in my Shepherd group at church and those on the monthly Congregational Care list.  Some of the black elements are cut from some leather-like material from who-knows-where.  But it looks good on these cards.    I wasn't going to buy any more paper, but just could not pass up the 8x8 DCWV "Maps, Text, & Ledgers" pad. 

A Christmas Card Challenge

Over at Simplicity on Tuesday Susan Raihala gave readers a challenge...make a Christmas card using non-Christmas stamps.

I made one with a House Mouse stamp, adding a sentiment that seemed to go with the little snoozing mouse.  The MISTI came in handy for placing the sentiment.  The image is colored with Copics, and I added some low profile Sticko stickers.  The textured background and matting piece are cut from a two-pocket folder -- I bought a bunch of them in a variety of colors back when school supplies were so inexpensive, actually cheaper than card stock.

I also remembered the globe stamp that I used on student papers back in the 1980s, so that's the one I stamped to use Susan's idea of Joy to the World.  The letters are cut from shiny red packaging from a perfume box using some Provocraft dies, and I used both the little tags and the letters.  The holly and sequins are from my craft closet, probably from Mom's stash.  The second card uses an eyelet set with the Provocraft Silent Setter. 

All three of these cards are so different from other holiday cards I've made, and I love them!

Cards for Guys

The card box is divided by theme:

1. birthday
2. anniversary
3. get well
4. sympathy
5. thank you

Then there were the miscellaneous cards with either no sentiment or perhaps "thinking of you" on the front.  These were separated into categories as well -- birds, butterflies, flowers, animals, other.  It turns out that there were more butterflies and flowers than anything else, so I divided this section into two categories - masculine and feminine.  Of course the masculine section was woefully empty.

Thus my current project -- make a good supply of cards suitable to send to men.  Here are a few samples.

 Z-fold cards

 Pheasants in ovals cut with the Stitched Shapes StampinUp die set

 

The Pretty Pines set doesn't have to be just for Christmas.

Coming soon are some cards that I'll keep on hand and add sentiments as the need arises.  There are masculine cards using a diagonal Z-fold, hexagon-embossed cards with a variety of cut hexagons, some gate fold cards, and a selection made with neutral colors using my favorite sketch.  

I've also finished fronts for cards made using a pretty tissue box, some curtain fold cards, some using "that folder" which is the All Occasions folder that came in a card making magazine, some easel cards with butterflies, ten that have portions of die cut hexagon grids, and sixteen using layered punched hexagons.  That'll be a good supply to have on hand.  Sending about 30 cards a month to church members will soon deplete the completed supply, so this ready-to-go pile will come in handy.

More Card Classes

It's been over a year and a half since my last post, so I thought I'd have lots of photos of cards to share.  No, not so.  I can't find the photos of November 2015, found January 2016, and there were no classes in February and March of 2016.  I didn't attend classes from May through August of 2017.  So here are the ones I found from last spring and then from September on.  One day if I find where I saved those missing photos I'll add them here.  However, I am not hopeful of finding them.

January 2016 - All of these cards have been sent - a lovely selection of styles and sentiments.  

 April 2016

 Made by the class teacher, Vicky.  Tiny thank you notes for placing an order.  I mounted them on cards to make them suitable for sending in the mail.  

September 2016 - Fall and Halloween cards.

October 2016 - more for Fall

 November 2016 - time for Christmas cards

 The gate fold card

 A different type of fold

 This one was a complicated one, but very pretty.

 I love this little frame fold.

Classes in 2017 will feature one Christmas card per month, plus eight in July and November. 

 January  2017

 February 2017

 March 2017

 I liked this stamp set so much that I  bought it!

 April 2017

 Cute shadow box card

May 2017

October Card Classes

The Sangria paper pack from Close to My Heart made into fifteen cards at Tina's studio.  I love these papers so much that I bought some more!
 

Four Christmas cards and four others from Vicky's card class today.

Goal for 2015: Use It or Donate It

Having craft items in drawers, cabinets, or the closet makes for a neater looking room, but doesn't help those supplies to get used.  My goal for 2015 has neen to use up supplies for paper crafting and clear out the yarn I've had forever but have never used.  The children's librarian will be getting some goodie bags this year, for sure!  Cindy at Cards by Cindy has inspired me, so let's see how I do!

I've had a good start in January, using up the packs of 30 square cards I bought in 2009 without realizing square cards require additional postage.  One birthday, one thank you, and twenty-eight thinking of you cards were completed at the January crop at Tina's.

Next  I put together fifty card kits using the embossed papers I paired with fifty patterned paper from a stack that's been in the drawer for six years.  The Operation Write Home sketches 76 - 125 helped me make cards that have some variety, and my new Copic markers gave the images a colorful look.

Joining a RAK (Random Acts of Kindness) group is a perfect for finding new homes for some really nice items I haven't used.

Used up or given away as of the end of September :
embossed acetate
cat inchies
western and cowboy sentiments
vellum quotations
items from Alice Carter's stash bought at the Habitat store
lots and lots of stickers
regular and foam paint brushes
markers
ribbon
Xyron sticker maker
glitter pens
glitter
bling too thick for cards
die cut tags
ATCs from Alice Carter
patriotic and military papers
pink and green gift bag
napkins for making cards

Eight Card Classes

These cards were all made in Vicky's card classes - such fun!

 February class
I bought the SU stamp set that has the car in it - good for cards for guys.

 

I love the 3D effect of this card.

March class

These party animals are cute!

 April class

May class
I ended up going online to order the set of cat dies, which go perfect with the small Madison window die.  I also made a template for making some mini envelopes for card fronts.  No need to buy a new piece of equipment.
 

June class

Vicky usually includes at least one card with an interesting construction.

 

 Christmas in July class.  Since I won't use the six tags for gifts, I added them to six different Christmas cards instead.

 

 August class

 

The September class included four Halloween cards, one of which goes to a friend whose birthday is on Halloween.