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Friday, April 30, 2010

Fall-To Layout 88

All day meetings on Friday should not be allowed, but I guess that's when most people at work were available this week for some strategic planning because not many people have meetings on Friday. Even though it was an all day meeting, I did get breakfast and lunch out of it. :)

I went over to clean&simple for their card sketch today (#88). Even though it looks simple, I ran into a lot of difficulties with my first try. I was using a purple color scheme, but then I couldn't a) tie the ribbon right and b) after I tied it right, I didn't like the way I cut the ribbon ends and c) I thought the white cardstock piece had too much white space so I tried to fill it with something, but then I didn't stamp the images right. I recycled that card and started fresh with a new color scheme, this time pink. I thought the elements tied together and colors matched better in this card.

Card Specs:
Ink: Colorbox chalk ink in Chestnut Roan and Rose Coral
Punches: Fiskars Threading Waters border punch, We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper
Stamps: Hero Arts- Thinking of You Messages (sentiment), Inkadinkado- dots
Paper: My Mind's Eye- Bloom & Grow, Basic Grey (Bittersweet collection, Rocky Road paper)
Ribbon: From Michaels (?)

Stock up on cards in my Etsy shop...I'm having a sale :)

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Purple Kick, Part 3

At work today, one of my former co-workers stopped by because she was in town visiting. We started at the organization on the same day, but she had to leave a few months later because she was got married and had to move to NYC. It was so nice to see her!

I didn't make it to spin class tonight (oops). Instead, I gave into the gravitational pull of my bed. I love naps. :)

For tonight's card, I'm still on my purple kick. I think it's really stemming from how much I like the Blackberry chalk ink I got this past weekend. I was having a tough time coming up with an idea for a card, so I started out with the different bands of color created by the criss-cross stamp. I tied the ribbon in a knot; it's strategically placed over a place that didn't stamp as well as I would have liked (the knot only took me 1 try...the practice must be helping!). Then I thought the top of the card needed something, but I didn't want it to be ink, so I put the scalloped border there. Then I was left with the white space. I knew I didn't want to take all of it up, so I figured a sentiment and some cute hearts would do just the trick. I wasn't sure what would come out of tonight's card making, but I'm happy with the end result.

Card Specs:
Ink: Colorbox chalk ink in Prussian Blue, Pink Peony, Blackberry
Stamp: Martha Stewart- Patterns (criss-cross pattern), Fiskars- Thank You (sentiment, heart)
Paper: Die Cuts With A View
Punches: Fiskars scalloped sentiment border punch, We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper

Real Housewives of NYC is almost on...must run! Happy Almost Friday! :)

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

31 Cent Scoop Night

Funny thing that happened at the office today: I went to our other office building across the street for a meeting. I was the only one in the conference room for a little bit. The conference room phone rings, and I pick it up. It was one of our IT guys- "Do you ever get the feeling that someone's watching you?" o_0 What? "Turn on the TV." And his face pops up! Apparently he was testing the webcam, and I just happened to be in the room. How funny but creepy at the same time.

Did anyone get ice cream at Baskin Robbins tonight? I did. It was 31 cent scoop night, I couldn't miss it! I almost did because the parking lot was very, very full. Every kid in town must have been there with their parents to get a purple/pink/green/blue ice cream cone. I got a scoop each of Rocky Road and Very Berry Strawberry. Mom got 2 scoops of the strawberry one and then shared a few licks with Ginger. The cat is very spoiled.

For tonight's card, I wanted to use some of the Basic Grey paper that I cut up last night to make matchbook notepads. Unfortunately, I didn't like the way the paper was folding, but I didn't want to just throw the cut pieces away. In an effort to salvage the paper, I punched out postage stamp pieces and then seal pieces from some brown cardstock. After adhering the paper and cardstock pieces, I stamped the sentiment, added the buttons with mini glue dots, and rounded two of the bottom corners. I didn't like the white space that was in between the paper pieces and the sentiment, so I added the dashed line. Ta da! Simple, but cute card. :)

Card Specs:

Ink: Colorbox chalk ink in Chestnut Roan and Rouge
Stamps: Fiskars- Girlfriend (sentiment), Autumn Leaves- Build-a-Flower (dashed line)
Punches: Marvy Uchida (postage stamp), Brenda Walton (seal), We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper
Paper: Basic Grey (Bittersweet collection, Rocky Road paper)
Buttons: Favorite Findings in Pink

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

400 Sales

Hooray, I reached 400 sales today at my Etsy shop! I am so thankful for the new buyers, repeat customers, and fans in general who continue to support my itty bitty card shop. Onward to 500 sales!

I went to Janice's spin class tonight. I had missed her 2 previous classes because of Dallas and being sick. I was a little nervous that she'd call me out on it, but whew, she didn't. Yay. One of the girls in the class ran a marathon last Saturday, go her! She mentioned something about running another one on Sunday. Holy. Cow.

Tonight, I decided to take a little break from card making and work on some matchbook notepads. I had a bunch of scrapbook paper laying around from a previous Ebay auction win, and I thought this would be a quick and easy way to use it up. Don't you just love the bright colors? I think they look rather cheerful. They kinda remind me of summer, which is just around the corner. Whoo hoo!

Last season of The Hills is starting soon...gotta go!

Monday, April 26, 2010

Purple Kick Continues

For a Monday, today went well.
  • I managed to get to work 30 minutes before I normally do. I fumbled around looking for my cell phone this morning when the alarm went off, so I figured that since I was awake, I might as well muster the effort and get out of bed.
  • I went to Anna's 1-hour spin class tonight. I hadn't been in 2 weeks (1 week because I was in Dallas and last week because I was sick). It's nice to sorta be getting back in the swing of things.
  • I saw a girl that I went to high school with, so it was nice to catch up with her for a little bit. "Cute gym front desk guy" was working tonight too (extra bonus).
I forgot to mention yesterday that there was a children's art display in the mall. I stopped by to look at the artwork after I went to the post office. I was so impressed by the talent, especially in the digital art and linoleum print sections. And these were middle schoolers! Maybe they will be future Etsians. :)

I decided to continue my purple kick today with this card tonight. This was my first time using the flower stamp, and I love it! I like the variety of flowers included in just one stamp. I wasn't going to put a sentiment on the front, but then I found a "celebrate" stamp that I hadn't used before. I was going to handwrite something, but I don't think my handwriting is card-front worthy. This card was also a good opportunity to practice my knot tying skills.

Card Specs:
Ink: Colorbox chalk ink in Blackberry and Rouge
Stamps: Inkadinkado (flowers), Fiskars- Baby (sentiment)
Punches: Fiskars Threading Waters border punch, We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper
Paper: Martha Stewart

Did anyone watch 24 tonight? Pretty good episode, right? I can't believe there are only 5 hours left! AH! Also, new season of The Hills starts tomorrow and Real Housewives of NJ next week. ::happy dance::

Sunday, April 25, 2010

CPS #164

Today was a (_) good day, (_) bad day. Check one.

Today was a (X) good day, (_) bad day. :)

Let me elaborate.
  • Ah, got a good night's sleep due to clean, freshly laundered sheets.
  • Woke up to a sale.
  • Didn't make it to spin class this morning, BUT I did go to the gym (to watch reruns of The Hills, hah!)
  • Cute front gym desk guy was working this morning, extra bonus.
  • Ate yummy potato salad and pasta salad leftover from last night's family BBQ.
  • Ate Edy's peach pie ice cream. I haven't had ice cream in what seems like forever.
Even though I went to ACMoore on Friday night and didn't find anything that I really wanted or needed, I saw that they were having a sale on cardstock this week. Overheard at ACMoore today:
  • Little girl- "Oooo, that's SO pretttyyy." Yes, honey, that's how they getcha. With really pretty packaging and colors. Welcome to my world.
  • Girl talking to her friend in the scrapbook paper aisle- "I buy paper that looks so pretty, but then I don't know what to do with it." Ah, yes. I feel that way often.
For tonight's card, my goal was to use the new chalk ink that I bought today. The card was inspired by CPS's #164. Tonight, I used the emboss resist technique, which means you heat emboss with some sort of embossing powder and then you use a cotton ball, tissue, or something similar to add color to the cardstock. I heat embossed the flower image with white embossing powder and then added color using a tissue. I didn't want to go with all purple, so I blended in some blue too.

Card Specs:
Embossing powder: Stampendous! in clear and white
Embossing ink: VersaMark
Ink: Colorbox chalk ink in Blackberry, Ink It Up! in Lavender and French Blue
Stamps: Fiskars- Thank You (sentiment), K.I. Memories-Blooms (flowers), Inkadinkado- swirl
Foam Adhesive: Making Memories
Punches: Fiskars Threading Waters border punch, We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper

**SALE ALERT**
Oh, P.S. in an effort to clear some inventory, I'm having a sale over at my shop! Until May 2, 11:59 PM EST, buy 2 cards, get 1 FREE. Purchase all 3 cards and get the least expensive card for free. Refund via Paypal. Happy browsing! :)

Friday, April 23, 2010

Fall-To Layout 87

Greetings, folks...happy Friday! First, I'd like to give a BIG shout out to fellow Marylander, Joyce! Thank you for featuring me in your blog today and for your kind convo message this evening! To read her post, click here.

I forgot to mention a random thing that I saw yesterday yesterday. I was stopped at a stop light and I saw this lady, teetering on red high heels. In one hand was her purse and in the other, her recent beverage purchase from Starbucks. She was leaning to one side and walking funny, and then I realized that she was talking on the phone, holding it up to her ear with her shoulder. Yeahhh. I was thinking "OMG, pleasedontfallpleasedontfallitsrushhourpleasedontfall." I think she made it across the street okay. Hey, lady! That's why those engineers created Bluetooth!

After dinner tonight, I went to Michaels and ACMoore and (gasp!) didn't by a THING from either store. Shocking, I know. I did come back with chocolate though, from CVS. I swear, it has medicinal qualities! Thank you, Hershey. While walking up and down the aisles at ACMoore, I did notice that they had WRMK Corner Chompers back in stock. ::insert wail of anguish:: I just bought one off Ebay! I could have used a 40% coupon if I had just waited a week. Bah, oh well. Also, I found out that Inkadinkado has a whole new line of ink pads, markers, and other stamping goodies. Who knew? I didn't.

For today's card, I went over to clean&simple and found a lovely versatile sketch (#87). Even though there's a lot of white space left, I think all the elements balance out really nicely. As you can see, I used the Corner Chomper a lot in this card. I think the rounded corners make the card look...softer? Or less stiff? Is that possible? Maybe it's just my imagination.

Card Specs:
Ink: Colorbox chalk ink in Chestnut Roan, Yellow Ochre, Amber Clay
Stamp: K.I. Memories-It's a Girl (flowers), Fiskars- sentiments (sentiment)
Paper: My Mind's Eye- Bloom & Grow
Foam Adhesive: Making Memories
Punch: EK Success Circle punch (1 3/8 inch), EK Success Scalloped Circle punch (2 inch), We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper

By the way, have you seen the latest Eclipse trailer? Wow, right? I guess that means I have to find the book at the library and finish it since I was about 3/4 of the way through before I had to return it. I'm not a HUGE fan of the series, but if I had to be on a team, I'd choose Team Jacob.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Lost: Voice

Reward if found.

"How much?" you ask.

Uhhh...

Umm, I have candy! Does 3 gummy bears count? Heh. I ate the majority of the bag yesterday.

Behold the medicinal quality of Tylenol and chocolate. Maybe it's just the Tylenol, but eating chocolate does improve my mood and I am feeling somewhat better today.

Other happy things from today:
  • Woke up to a custom order from a previous custom orderer. It makes me feel good to know that the work I did the first time around was good enough to come back. Out of all the Etsy shops out there, she picked mine to do Mother's Day cards. :)
  • I bought this print from Etsy today. I needed something to fill the space that my Hello Kitty clock used to be on my wall. The clock died a few weeks ago, and I haven't found a suitable replacement. Hello Kitty cannot be replaced. It's just not possible. I have many clocks I can refer to anyway. Hello? Computer, cell phone, alarm clock in case cell phone doesn't go off, etc. I love that Etsy shop...she's doing a promo until 4/25. Don't miss out!
  • I won an Ebay auction for a We R Memory Keepers corner chomper the other day, and it was waiting for me when I got home from work today. OMG, yay! I've been wanting to get one for a while now. I wasn't a real fan of the Fiskars 2-in-1 corner punch, but I was tolerating it until I could find a good price for WRMK one. Yeah, I guess this goes against my goal of not spending so much on crafty stuff, but I couldn't pass a good deal up!
Crafty Review: I wanted to test out the WRMK corner chomper with my card tonight. I love it! With the plastic guides, I know when I've lined up the cardstock properly to punch a perfectly rounded corner. I like that the tool has a little space to catch the punched parts (you just gotta remember to empty it out every so often). You also don't have to exert too much pressure to punch through 2 sheets of cardstock. With the Fiskars one, I had to punch each corner individually, hoping that I have everything lined up. With tonight's card, I only had to punch twice and it came out perfectly. Yep, I'm a fan!

For tonight's card, I was inspired by The Little Engine That Could (the little children's book). The card is going to a friend and to make the train a little girly, I made it pink. I used a border punch on some yellow cardstock and adhered it to the card. I stamped some more and drew in smoke with a Sharpie marker. The final step was to round the corners. If I had to do the card again, I would have put the train in the center of the card because I think there's more white space on the right than I would have liked, but oh well. I think it turned out cute anyway.

Card Specs:
Ink: Colorbox chalk ink in Prussian Blue, Warm Green, Yellow Ochre, Chestnut Roan, Rouge
Stamp: Inkadinkado (birds), K.I. Memories-It's a Boy (train, dashed line), The Paper Company Studio- Surf's Up (sun), The Paper Company Studio- Whimsy Greetings (sentiment)
Punch: Fiskars- Apron Lace border punch, We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper
Other: Sharpie Ultra Fine Point marker

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Sniff-Cough

sniff. sniff. sniffle. SNIFFFFFF. Cough. Oh yeah. That was me all day. I hope that I didn't bother my officemate too much. This stuffy but runny nose has GOT to go! TMI? Ok, I'll stop.

I tried Panera's new Strawberries and Cream scone this afternoon, and it was yummy! I saved like a third so that I could eat it on the way home from work. Yeah, it didn't last very long. I'd recommend it. I think I prefer the blueberry one, but the strawberry one was a nice substitute.

No card today. Feeling congested and not crafty. Going to bed soon. Later gators!

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

365 Cards- Tuesday's Trio

I'm happy to report that I was feeling well enough to go back to work today. I'm not at 100%, but it's getting there. I dunno if it's the pollen that's doing a number on me or what. I can only imagine what the European people are dealing with in regards to the volcano. It must be like breathing in gravel, as my officemate put it. I didn't make it to Janice's spin class tonight. That's 2 weeks in a row. Oh well. Maybe next week.

For today's card, I wandered over to 365 Cards. Their challenge today was to make a card that included one of each of the following: alpha sticker, stamp, and red. This was a challenge for me because of all the crafty supplies that I have, I only have 1 package of alpha stickers, so I had to make sure that the colors coordinated with the other elements of the card. I used this as an opportunity to use a stamp that I bought on clearance a while ago. I think it's really pretty. I also knocked off "stamp" and "red" at the same time. I used the flower gems to cover up some of the spots where the image didn't completely stamp. Make it work, right? I was really happy that all the colors coordinated so well. :) I also made this origami rabbit card, as inspired by a custom order that I got last night.

Card Specs:
Ink: Colorbox chalk ink in Prussian Blue, Warm Red, Yellow Ochre
Stamp: Studio G (butterflies), Inkadinkado (flowers)
Stickers: American Crafts Remarks- Serendipity, Color Set 4
Punch: Fiskars- Apron Lace border punch


Monday, April 19, 2010

Giveaway Winner

Bad news: Still felt gross today...stayed home from work. :(

Good news: Thanks to everyone that stopped by to participate! I was so happy to see that there were so many of you. Random.org has randomly selected the winner of the set of 6 origami cards. The winner is (::drum roll::) comment #11- Carapace! Congratulations! I've got your mailing information, so I'll send your package out soon. Not to worry, non-winners, I will definitely have more giveaways in the future.

While watching Kristina Werner's Make a Card Monday video today, I saw that she challenged fellow cardmakers to do a one-layer card, i.e. just using stamps. What a toughie because I love using embellishments! I cut some strips of scrap cardstock (1 inch width) and masked off the top, left and ride side of the card. Then I broke out some border stamps and layered them, one on top of another with different colored chalk inks. I stamped the sentiment and outlined the colored portion of the card. I would have used a brown marker, but I don't own one so I used black instead.

Card Specs:
Ink: Colorbox chalk ink in Prussian Blue, Dark Peony, Warm Green, Bisque, Charcoal
Stamp: Martha Stewart- Patterns (top 2 borders), Hot Off The Press- Delicate Patterns (bottom 2 borders), Fiskars- Just Between Friends (sentiment)
Other: Sharpie ultra fine tip marker

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Day 49- Super Sketchy Sunday

The sore throat from yesterday is still lingering, so I didn't make it to spin class this morning. Man, I hope this goes away by tomorrow, otherwise, I foresee a case of the Mondays.

Onto happier news.

I woke up to a sale this morning! One of my origami dress Mother's Day cards will be making its way to Switzerland. Whoo hoo!

For today's card, I went back to 365 cards, and the sketch today features 3 circle elements in a row. The finished card turned out to be similar to this one. One thing that I did differently was not using all Prima flowers. Instead, I punched scalloped circles out of some yellow cardstock and used scissors to cut petals. I curled the petals a little by using a pencil and gently wrapping each petal around it. I like how the bright yellow stands out from the mossy green background.

Card Specs:
Ink: Colorbox chalk ink in Deep Green
Stamp: Fiskars- Thank You (sentiment)
Flowers: Prima
Brads: Making Memories Brad Value Pack- Chelsea's Place collection
Sticker: Cloud9 Design- Wedding
Punch: EK Success Scalloped Circle punch (2 inch)

Wow, since last night's post, I went from 12 to 18 people entering in my giveaway. I'm curious to see who the winner will be. We'll find together tomorrow, stay tuned! :)

Off to eat some lunch, read Harry Potter 7, and take a nap. byE for now.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

365 Cards- Day 48 (White Space)

I made it to spin class this morning, only to come home and take a nap shortly after. I think with the fluctuating temperatures and windy weather, my body's not really feeling it. Throat's a little sore today, but with some tea and rest, I think I'll be good to go by Monday.

I had to exert some self control today and not go to the craft store. I wasn't planning to buy anything in particular, I just wanted to go since it had been a while. I know that if I did go, I'd buy something anyway because I'm a sucker for color, great packaging, and sparkles. My car was getting a check up for most of the day, so that helped me stay put. But now, I'm trying to occupy myself so that I don't grab my keys and drive away.

I've been promoting my origami dress Mother's Day cards like crazy today on the forums and Twitter because I'm hoping that they will be as successful as they were last year. I made several today so that I could restock the shop and add a little variety to the selection (see examples below). Interested? Check them out in my Etsy shop! :)

I wandered over to 365 cards to see what their latest challenge was. Day 48 focused on white space. I came up with the birthday card on the bottom right, even though there's not much white space left. The example card didn't either, so I figured they're flexible over there. I was able to use one of the stamps that I bought on clearance recently. Mmm, cake.

Card Specs:
Ink: Colorbox chalk ink in Chestnut Roan
Stamps: Savvy Stamps- Happy Birthday Written (sentiment), Savvy Stamps- Small Cake Slice (cake)
Foam adhesive: Making Memories
Paper: My Mind's Eye- Bloom & Grow
Punch: Fiskars 4-in-1 Embossing Corner- Joy of Spring
Other: Sharpie Markers

Ok, this is my last plug for my giveaway. The winner will be randomly selected on Monday, April 19. 12 people have entered so far. Are you one of them?

Friday, April 16, 2010

Fall-To Layout 86

We had staff meeting today where we began with an icebreaker. We've had some new people join the organization, so the Big Boss thought the icebreaker would be a good way for all of us to get to know each other a little better. Each of us had to answer the following question: if your house was burning down, what's the one thing you would take with you? This is assuming that pets and family members are already safely out of the house. Some of the answers were bank/stock/personal information (my answer), iPhone, purse/wallet, artwork, and jewelry. The answer that amused me the most was "I'd bring baby blankets and other baby items because if I didn't, the whining that would ensue would make me want to be back in the burning house." That answer got the most laughs out of the group.

I miss those enchiladas that I had on Tuesday night. Man, those were good.

For tonight's card, I went over to clear&simple stamping to see what they had for their Fall-To Layout (#86). I immediately thought of doing a bunch of butterflies because it was a great way to use some smaller pieces of paper that were the result of my recent craft fair preparation. I popped up one of the butterflies with some foam dimensionals to add some interest. I finished the cards with some faux stitching around the perimeter of the beige cardstock. I would have done it in brown, but I don't own a brown marker, so I settled for red. It worked out anyway because there was a red butterfly.

Crafty tip: the red butterfly is actually from a Christmas themed paper pack. Usually Christmas paper packs have non-themey papers that you can use when it's not the holidays. Don't forget about them the rest of the year!

Card Specs:
Ink: Colorbox chalk ink in Chestnut Roan
Stamp: Fiskars- Thank You (sentiment)
Paper: My Mind's Eye- Bloom and Grow, Me & My Big Ideas- Sugarplum
Foam adhesive: Making Memories
Other: Sharpie ultra fine point marker

Picking a random commenter for my giveaway on Monday. 10 people have entered so far. Are you one of them?

I hope I can wake up in time for spin tomorrow. I haven't gone since last TH. Yikes!

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Back to the Card Routine

Overheard at the office today: "I'm going to go potty. You guys figure it out." What makes the quote even more funny is that it came from one of the senior leaders. Yes, we're that mature around here.

As much as I had a good time in Dallas and enjoyed the food there, I am happy to be home. I guess I'm a person that likes routine. I even slept better last night. Ginger even slept with me the whole night until Dad woke up this morning to go to work. That's a rare occurrence. I'd like to think it was because she missed me.

For tonight's card, I was inspired by a new stamping technique that I saw in Kristina Werner's "A Year In Cards: April 2010" video today. It's called Stamping Off; to learn more about it, click here. It's where you stamp an image more than once without reinking the stamp. For this card, I stamped the image on a scratch piece of paper and then stamped it again on the cardstock. After stamping the sentiment, I thought about putting flower gems in the top left corner, but then I thought I'd be overdoing the flower motif. I was determined to use some sort of embellishment in the cards to add some dimension, so I ended up using tiny rhinestones in the centers of the flowers. The flower stamps was one of the stamps that I got on clearance during my recent trip to A.C.Moore. Guess how much it was. $1! :)

Card Specs:
Ink: Colorbox chalk ink in Warm Green and Chestnut Roan
Stamp: The Paper Company Studio- Faith Greetings (sentiment), Inkadinkado (flower)

Don't forget about my giveaway :)

Ok, seriously, it's time for bed. Happy almost Friday!

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Dallas, Day 2

The training conference today went well. I saw people that I saw at last year's conference, and I introduced myself to some new people. Well, I've communicated with them through email and phone, so it's nice to put a name/voice to a face.

I wish I had taken more pictures during this trip, but I wasn't really feeling the landscape. Maybe it's just not one of those things that you force. I did, however, appreciate the view from my window. I liked the different colored chairs and the tall buildings in the background.

After the training today, I went to find some Mexican food. Success! I ate enchiladas for dinner again, but from a different restaurant than last night. These were yummier than the ones last night. The sour cream sauce was so good!

Random observation: on my way back from the restaurant, I noticed a couple having what looked like a heated conversation with lots of gestures and expressions. As I got closer, it looked more like a couple having a heated conversation through sign language.

Don't forget about my giveaway :)

I have another day of training tomorrow, but I'll be going back to home base tomorrow night. As much as I like this nice big hotel bed, I'd rather have my bed at home. Even if I have to share it with my cat and all her cat hair and her weight on my feet.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Dallas, Day 1

So, after a 3-hour flight, I arrived in Texas today. I slept on the plane almost the whole way. I guess I'm just one of those people that can sleep anywhere. I was even next to one of the turbines! Zzzzz. On the shuttle ride to the hotel, I drove by the Dallas Stadium that was imploded yesterday. It was pretty much a pile of rubble, with some lonely pillars still standing.

Observations:

  • From the moment I stepped off the plane, I don't think I've seen one Asian person here. I guess I'm used to the diversity back at home.

  • There are a lot of homeless people here right outside the hotel. Kinda sketchy, but sad at the same time.

  • The food is yummy. I got some enchiladas from a local Mexican restaurant. The guy at the front asked me if I was from the local college. Um, no. I'm here for a conference. "Really? You look too young to be traveling to a conference. You look like you should be in college." How old do you think I look? "Oh, 20, maybe?" I resisted the urge to snort loudly. Ha ha. Yeah, right.

Giveaway update: I decided to give people until next Sunday, April 18 to comment for the origami card set giveaway. "Beta tester" suggested that I should give people at least a week. Don't know what I'm talking about? That's okay; check out this post.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Origami Card Giveaway

I realized when I logged onto Blogger today that my 100th post was yesterday. Holy cow, time flies! In celebration of this milestone, I decided that I'd host a card giveaway. The prize will be a set of 6 origami cards (see picture on the left...you might want to enlarge the image to see the sentiments), so if you are interested, please leave a comment on this blog post by SUN, April 18, 11:59 PM EST and I'll pick a random commenter on MON to receive the prize (one comment per person, please). Each card is blank inside, and I'll include an envelope for each one. Good luck!

For today's card, I was inspired by this clean&simple sketch, Fall-To Layout #85. I really like how the paisley stamps had flowers in them too, so the designs tie together nicely. The cloud paper is awesome. I should have bought more on clearance!

Card Specs:
Ink: Colorbox chalk ink in Blue Iris, Prussian Blue, Charcoal, Pink Pastel
Stamp: Fiskars- Just Between Friends (sentiment)
Paper: K&Company- Citronella Cloudy
Ribbon: Eyelet from Michaels

P.S. Thanks for the card display suggestions from yesterday's post!

Saturday, April 10, 2010

A For Effort

Well, today's craft fair was kinda a bust. I learned a major lesson to not participate in craft fairs that are also flea markets. The clientele for the two events are totally different: on the lookout for cheap stuff vs. homemade stuff (and are okay spending a little more money for something handcrafted). I even left the event 2 hours early because I didn't think it was worth it to sit there when the flow of people was almost zip.

Someone recognized my work from a craft fair that I did last Fall. That really meant a lot to me to know that my work made a lasting impression. :)

Things that I'm thankful for from today:
  • I'm glad that my boss allowed me to take the last 2 Fridays off so that I could prep for the craft fair because I can at least say that I gave it my best effort. I ended up with 248 cards ready to sell.
  • I'm thankful that I had some company! Some vendors sat with no one visiting and nothing to read for hours. My parents stopped by for a little while (even though we live like 30 minutes away!). My officemate Jennifer and Meg came by (separately) and sat with me for a good 30-45 minutes to keep me company. They could have been doing yardwork or going for a run, but instead hung out with me for a little bit. Thanks!
The way I look at it, the effort that I put in for this craft fair will not be lost. I'll be ready if another one comes by, and I can always list cards on Etsy. On another note, I need to figure out a way to make my cards stand up to catch people's attention, but not spend an arm and a leg for a display board. Thinkthinkthinkthink (Winnie the Pooh style).

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Hills Are Your Friends

"Hills are your friends," said Jeff the spin instructor at tonight's class. Yes, how true. If you don't have any obstacles in your life (physical, emotional, and mental), how will you every find out how strong and resilient you are? I guess it's the going up part that's tough, and it's not always clear how long it takes to get to the bottom. However, when you do reach the bottom, you can look behind and see what you've accomplished. (Yes, very deep...)

I don't have a unique card to share with you all tonight. I came home from spin, took a shower, battled with my computer for a little bit, worked on cards, watched Real Housewives of NYC, and made more cards. I'm pooped. Gonna try to make it to Anna's Super Spin class tomorrow. It'll be my second-to-last class before I go to Dallas for work next week (I'll be missing Monday and Tuesday's class...wah!). Later, gators!

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

With Sympathy

Random stuff that's not important enough to get their own long paragraph:
  • Did you know that there's such a thing as a raspberry 3 Musketeers? Oh yes. You have now been informed. I tried a mini one at the CVS check out line yesterday. The cashier told me that she wasn't a fan. I should have took that as I sign. The raspberry flavor was a little overwhelming. Blech.
  • On my way to spin class yesterday, I saw a dog strapped to the child seat on the back of his human daddy's bike. Wheeeee!
  • On my way home from work yesterday, I saw a girl walking while reading a book. I hope she didn't trip! It looked hazardous.
Today, I found out on Facebook that an English teacher that's at my old high school passed away unexpectedly today. Although I wasn't in any of his classes, I could tell from the outpouring of support that he was loved very much by his students. He leaves behind a wife and 3 children. This event reminded me that I needed to make sure that I had some "With Sympathy" cards with me at the craft event on Saturday. Although people give cards to celebrate happy occasions, I think that cards given for support during tough times are just as important and probably more so.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Laura's Sketch #49

Whew, it's hot. I mean, turn-your-air-conditioning-on hot. The first time I asked Mom if we could turn the AC on, she just gave me a look. No? Ok. About an hour later, I just couldn't take it anymore. Because heat rises, my room gets extra hot. I asked her again, and she relented. Ha ha. I win. Neener neener. I hope this is not a preview of the summer to come. It's only April 6!

There was a new spinner in class today. She mentioned that she was training for a 5K. Go her! :)

Tonight, I worked on some more origami troll cards, but I took a break do to a card sketch challenge over at 2 Sketches 4 You. As you can see, my affinity for Prima flowers hasn't diminished one bit. I wanted to in corporate some ribbon above the sentiment, but then it didn't look as good as I had envisioned. Plan B was to use a scalloped border, and I think it tied the other elements in the card nicely.

Card Specs:
Ink: StazOn in Jet Black
Punches: Fiskars Threading Waters border punch
Stamp: My Sentiments Exactly!- Mother's Day
Flowers: Prima
Brads: Making Memories Brad Value Pack- Chelsea's Place collection
Paper: Die Cuts With A View

Monday, April 5, 2010

Where Did Spring Go?

Seriously, where did spring go? I feel like we skipped it and went straight to summer. I mean, I appreciate it, Mother Nature, since you pounded us with snow a few months ago, but I think this is a little quick. Oh well. I'll just enjoy the "no jacket weather," roll down my car windows, and rock out while I drive. Yes, I'm in the annoying car next to you with the loud music. Ha ha.

This morning, I found that one of my origami dress cards was featured on the Invitation Buzz Blog. Check out the post here. What a neato surprise! :)

Did anyone watch the 2-hour 24 tonight? It was awesome. So was spin class. 'Nough said.

Tonight, I focused my work on origami troll cards. At past craft events, they were a big hit. I found it amusing when people would peruse the table, and I could tell the instant that they found the troll cards because the people would laugh. I'm hoping that they'll generate the same reaction on Saturday. I finished my card making off tonight with a card that we'll be giving to the neighbors with a baby blanket to welcome their new baby boy to the neighborhood.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter to all that celebrate it! This morning started out with the "to spin or not to spin" question. I remembered that the instructor today wasn't someone that I was enthusiastic about, so I decided not to spin today. I didn't go yesterday either (oops), but I do plan to go tomorrow for Anna's 1-hour class.

It has been a card-filled weekend. I have about 175 cards ready for the April 10 craft fair, which is by far more than I've had for any crafty event and I still have a few days to prepare. I spent yesterday folding many origami dog and cat cards. This morning, I worked on several Mother's Day cards like the one below. I used up all of my large dimensional adhesives and almost all of my glue dots. I hope I can hold off buying more supplies until after the craft fair.

Card Specs:
Ink: Colorbox chalk ink in Dark Peony, Charcoal, Blue Lagoon, Blue Iris, Lavender
Punches: Fiskars Twist & Flip 2-in-1 corner punch, Fiskars Apron Lace border punch
Stamps: K.I. Memories-Blooms (flowers), My Sentiments Exactly!- Mother's Day
Ribbon: From Michaels
Foam adhesive: Making Memories
Mom tucked Ginger in. Isn't that cute? I think the cat thought it was way too hot (she does wear a fur coat after all), so not long after this picture was taken, she crawled out and slept on top of her pink towel.

Friday, April 2, 2010

Flowers, Chocolate, and Cards

Hello! Happy Friday, peeps! Oh, speaking of peeps, have you seen the Washington Post peep contest? Very clever and creative stuff! For a day off from work, today was really productive. This morning started out with a 1-hour spin class with Anna (second class with her this week). At the end of class, she was talking about something "absolutely fantastic" (spoken in her British accent) that she did recently. It was paintballing. "I was rather gun-happy." I don't know why that amused me so much. Maybe because she's a 40 something year old mom.

I came home and inhaled a bowl of strawberries and pineapple, took a shower, and headed off to Brookside Gardens to take some pictures. It would have been nice to go to the National Mall to take pictures, but there was probably going to be a crowd and I wasn't willing to make the trek there. The Gardens had some beautiful flowers; I was especially impressed with the orchids (see some of my favorite shots below). The turtles were interesting to watch as well.

I went to a nearby mall after my garden excursion. The Easter candy section at Target totally had a gravitational pull on me. Darn you, Target! ::shakes fist:: I ended up buying some chocolate and gummies. The SweetTarts Bunny Gummies were especially yummy. Oh well. That's why there's spin class.

This is how my afternoon went: cards, nap, dinner, cards, Smallville (good Ollie and Clark episode), more cards. Check out the carnage that is my room. Cardstock, ink, paper. Click on the photo below at your own risk, especially if you are a clean freak. I have since put my craft stuff in their rightful places. Here's one of the cards that I made tonight. It's very similar to one that I've made before, but I didn't use any dimensional adhesives and I added ribbon. I made about 7-8 cards like this one with varying colors and sentiments. Hooray for my new chalk ink!

Pictures from today...

Thursday, April 1, 2010

No Jacket Weather

Today was the first "no jacket weather" I've had in a while. It's great! Spring is awesome!

You know what else is awesome? Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink. I saw that Joann's was having a sale on them last week, so I bought 4 chalk ink queues, and oh yes, I did use them tonight. How could I resist?

Funny thing from spin class tonight: "La La" by Ashley Simpson came on, and the spin instructor asked the class "Does anyone like Ashley Simpson?" Silence from the crowd. "Well, I do. And I don't care what you think." Mind you, this is a 30-something year old guy. Ha ha. Hey, whatever floats your boat.

Here were my goals for tonight's card: use some sort of purple scrap, use a new stamp, and use one of the new Colorbox Queues. I started out with the cupcake stamp that I bought last Sunday at Michaels. Then I went with a dark/light blue background. I needed to have something to balance out the cupcake on the left, so I got a lavender purple scrap, used a border punch on it, and put it on the corner. The ribbon came next and then finally the sentiment. I had been making "Thank You" origami flower cards earlier, and since the sentiment stamp was already out, meh, might as well use it. As an aside, I noticed that the fabric scissors were not on my desk tonight. I think Mom has reclaimed them.

Card Specs:
Ink: Colorbox chalk ink in Chestnut Roan and Prussian Blue
Punches: Fiskars Twist & Flip 2-in-1 corner punch, Fiskars Apron Lace border punch
Stamps: Studio G (cupcake), The Paper Company Studio- Whimsy Greetings (sentiment)
Paper: Martha Stewart

I decided to take tomorrow off from work, but I haven't decide what I'm going to do with my free time. I'll definitely be working on my inventory for the craft fair (card count: 125+) and go to spin class in the morning, but I'm probably going to spend some time outside because it's supposed to be gorgeous weather. Whatever I decide to do, you'll read about it tomorrow. Oh, the suspense!