I've almost completed all of the preparation for my 10 minute card project. I need to put adhesive on 15 more pieces and then create the individual kits that will be given to the group members in about a week and one half. Hooray! There'll be no staying up all night in a frenzy to get everything ready. I plan to set aside everything I need to take to the gathering and just ease on out the door the morning of the event. Ahhhh. Sure beats years past when I was working a 40 hour week, commuting for a couple of hours per day and trying to fit a personal life into my schedule. Love it!
Yesterday, one of the scrapbook store customers brought in 22 cards that she'd made to donate to Operation Write Home. They were Halloween and Thanksgiving cards and the work was fabulous. I stamped OWH information on the backs of the cards and did the partial envelope tuck that we've been asked to do when sending in cards. Today, one of the customers brought 30 cards in and I did the same with hers. Each of her cards were made with great attention to detail and only a few of the cards were duplicates so this customer, too, came up with unique ideas for just about each card. At this point we already have 52 cards ready to be sent for distribution to our troops. I can hardly wait to see what we produce all together. This is getting to be exciting!
I need to tend to a couple of things before getting some sleep tonight so this is a short one. Hope to find time soon to tweak this blog a bit.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Tuesday
In my mind, it's still Tuesday. That's because I've not yet slept and awakened to a new day but I just looked at the clock and see that it's after midnight already. Another cliche': Time flies when........ okay, I won't complete that.
I spent most of the day at my favorite scrapbooking store. Visited with a friend there while we worked on the 10 minute projects we're taking to our group's gathering at the end of the month. I also stamped the back of some cards that one of the store's customers made for OWH since she won't be coming to the store to stamp/create cards on the 17th. All of the cards made for OWH need to carry the program's name so people sending and receiving them will know that they were made for Operation Write Home. So we already have 22 cards that will be going to OWH for distribution to the troops. Yay!
I made the sample for the 10 minute card project today and cut many of the pieces that will go into the kits that will be given to group members so they can make the same card. Tomorrow I will return to the store and stamp the images on 16 cards so I won't have to tote ink pads and stamps to the event nor run the risk of any damage to them. The group members will need only to assemble the cards and that'll be a good way to make sure the completed project will not go over 10 minutes in the making. I'm hoping that the last of my preparations will go quickly tomorrow so I can also get some card making in for OWH. I've made many Christmas cards to send to them and want to make sure I send the other types as well since folks will still be having birthdays, be needing to be thanked and needing to just hear from their friend or family member who's been deployed.
It's time for me to call an end to Tuesday and get some sleep so I can greet Wednesday. Hopefully on the following day I can figure out how to link this blog to another new one I need to create since my art page isn't exactly what I'd wanted it to be. It can't be changed and I want to be able to add new items to it as I create them. I'd also like to put up pictures of jewelry I've made. Another project. This blogging stuff is a bit more complicated than I'd imagined but it's getting there.
I spent most of the day at my favorite scrapbooking store. Visited with a friend there while we worked on the 10 minute projects we're taking to our group's gathering at the end of the month. I also stamped the back of some cards that one of the store's customers made for OWH since she won't be coming to the store to stamp/create cards on the 17th. All of the cards made for OWH need to carry the program's name so people sending and receiving them will know that they were made for Operation Write Home. So we already have 22 cards that will be going to OWH for distribution to the troops. Yay!
I made the sample for the 10 minute card project today and cut many of the pieces that will go into the kits that will be given to group members so they can make the same card. Tomorrow I will return to the store and stamp the images on 16 cards so I won't have to tote ink pads and stamps to the event nor run the risk of any damage to them. The group members will need only to assemble the cards and that'll be a good way to make sure the completed project will not go over 10 minutes in the making. I'm hoping that the last of my preparations will go quickly tomorrow so I can also get some card making in for OWH. I've made many Christmas cards to send to them and want to make sure I send the other types as well since folks will still be having birthdays, be needing to be thanked and needing to just hear from their friend or family member who's been deployed.
It's time for me to call an end to Tuesday and get some sleep so I can greet Wednesday. Hopefully on the following day I can figure out how to link this blog to another new one I need to create since my art page isn't exactly what I'd wanted it to be. It can't be changed and I want to be able to add new items to it as I create them. I'd also like to put up pictures of jewelry I've made. Another project. This blogging stuff is a bit more complicated than I'd imagined but it's getting there.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Future cards
I've decided to start posting cards and other artwork on another of my blog's pages entitled "My Art." Click on the link in the right hand panel.
Note: (written 9/18/11) I took down "My Art" as the page was not what I had intended it to be. In my newness to blogging, I didn't understand that the additional page that could be created here is only static and I would be unable to add to it. I'm still exploring another means to be able to display my work.
More of my cards
Last month I had the opportunity to take a class taught by an artist named Michael Strong whose work I have long admired. During the time I wasn't stamping, I came upon some of his rubber stamp images in his Cloisonne line and remarked to a friend that if any stamp would get me into stamping again, it would be one of his. Well, I'd already started stamping again and it was with utter delight that I learned of the monthly classes he teaches and was fortunate to reserve the last seat in July's classes. Michael teaches 2 on each of his class days, it turns out, and you know how the saying goes.......(another cliche' here) "if one is good, two is better."
The first class introduced different techniques and I learned to make lace from a stamped square of toilet tissue as shown on the aqua and cream colored card, coloring within stamped images with different types of art media and I relearned about stamping with bleach as shown on the purple and black card. Those were made during the morning class. In the afternoon, we made the asian themed cards in the style of ikebana, the Japanese style of floral arrangements.
The next class will be in October and you can bet that I'm signed up for it. September will be skipped because Michael will be in Germany. I'm looking forward to the next adventure in stamping with him.
The first class introduced different techniques and I learned to make lace from a stamped square of toilet tissue as shown on the aqua and cream colored card, coloring within stamped images with different types of art media and I relearned about stamping with bleach as shown on the purple and black card. Those were made during the morning class. In the afternoon, we made the asian themed cards in the style of ikebana, the Japanese style of floral arrangements.
The next class will be in October and you can bet that I'm signed up for it. September will be skipped because Michael will be in Germany. I'm looking forward to the next adventure in stamping with him.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
A good day
Today was a good day. Despite a sad occasion, a friend's mother's funeral services, it was a good day. My husband accompanied me to the services and was the most patient of men during the long Catholic Mass, the drive in a line of cars to the cemetery, and then to a reception where we knew almost no one. My friend seemed comforted by the number of family members and friends who attended and that her dad was buoyed by their attention. I was glad to be there for my friend and her father and will continue to spend time with both of them from time to time.
I returned home to a postal delivery that included rubber stamps from 3 different vendors, a couple with which I'd placed orders about a month ago. I spent time organizing my supplies to ready them for a day at my local scrapbooking store on Tuesday. I'm really looking forward to using my new stamps and getting some cards done for OWH.
I've gotten quite a few of the pieces cut for the 16 birthday cards and artist trading cards I'll need for an event that's later this month. The event is one of two each year that have been taking place for over 10 years now. It began after a rubber stamp store, at which I'd started a club that met monthly to share cards and ideas, closed and we wanted to still be able to get together. We tried meeting at each other's homes for a while and then started a club at another store and tried that. It just wasn't the same and one of our members who is a dean at one of the universities decided to make arrangements to use one of its satellite campuses, rent a large classroom and some of the dorm rooms used for visiting professors during the week. Thus our new venue and format came to be. In the spring we spend a night, using the dorm rooms 2 to a room. On the first day, we meet for lunch and then spend a few hours in the large classroom. Some of us volunteer in advance to teach techniques or we demonstrate new designs we've created so the others can make their versions of what we've made. We also pass around 10 minute projects we've each designed, along with the supplies to make them, so that each participant can make one of her own. On the second day, we have additional volunteered classes and 10 minute projects. The day and a half we get together in the spring is just a whirlwind of activity. In September, we use a large classroom for just a day and our schedule of activities is a bit lighter, fewer classes, more visiting among ourselves.
I'm also planning to start some cards for a set for a friend as well as a mini scrapbook for her. I need to make a prototype of another mini scrapbook that I'd like to teach at next spring's event and want to have it ready to show to the event planner for consideration. How I ever had time to work is beyond me. Actually I worked outside the home instead of having time to pursue the things I really wanted to do. It's wonderful being able to do what I do now. I'm grateful I can.
I returned home to a postal delivery that included rubber stamps from 3 different vendors, a couple with which I'd placed orders about a month ago. I spent time organizing my supplies to ready them for a day at my local scrapbooking store on Tuesday. I'm really looking forward to using my new stamps and getting some cards done for OWH.
I've gotten quite a few of the pieces cut for the 16 birthday cards and artist trading cards I'll need for an event that's later this month. The event is one of two each year that have been taking place for over 10 years now. It began after a rubber stamp store, at which I'd started a club that met monthly to share cards and ideas, closed and we wanted to still be able to get together. We tried meeting at each other's homes for a while and then started a club at another store and tried that. It just wasn't the same and one of our members who is a dean at one of the universities decided to make arrangements to use one of its satellite campuses, rent a large classroom and some of the dorm rooms used for visiting professors during the week. Thus our new venue and format came to be. In the spring we spend a night, using the dorm rooms 2 to a room. On the first day, we meet for lunch and then spend a few hours in the large classroom. Some of us volunteer in advance to teach techniques or we demonstrate new designs we've created so the others can make their versions of what we've made. We also pass around 10 minute projects we've each designed, along with the supplies to make them, so that each participant can make one of her own. On the second day, we have additional volunteered classes and 10 minute projects. The day and a half we get together in the spring is just a whirlwind of activity. In September, we use a large classroom for just a day and our schedule of activities is a bit lighter, fewer classes, more visiting among ourselves.
I'm also planning to start some cards for a set for a friend as well as a mini scrapbook for her. I need to make a prototype of another mini scrapbook that I'd like to teach at next spring's event and want to have it ready to show to the event planner for consideration. How I ever had time to work is beyond me. Actually I worked outside the home instead of having time to pursue the things I really wanted to do. It's wonderful being able to do what I do now. I'm grateful I can.
Friday, September 2, 2011
Musings
I started writing and then realized I was just rambling and I can't see any point in posting that sort of stuff. So tonight I'll just say I'm here and let it be done with that. I'm going to a friend's mom's funeral services tomorrow and afterwards I hope to shake the "blahs" I've been feeling all week.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Opportunity to give back
The owner of my favorite scrapbooking store, Hearts N Crafts, Etc., has graciously arranged to make her store's classroom space available for members of the community to come in to make cards for Operation Write Home. I've been talking to her about the organization for a couple of months and she suggested that we have an event in her store to help people learn about the program and give them a chance to participate. She published an announcement in her newsletter and on her blog; it follows. I'm hoping we have a good turn out and that more people become involved because of the event. Wouldn't that be wonderful?
Here's the announcement:
Here's the announcement:
Calling all cardmakers!!
We are hosting a Special Cardmaking Day to make cards to send for
our service men and women on Sat. September 17th from 10-5.
We will have lots of supplies for you to create cards with and you can bring
your own things (stamps, ink, adhesive and paper trimmer)
to make cards for Operation Write Home.
This is an organization that gathers and distributes cards
to members of our armed forces overseas.
They use these handmade and donated cards to stay in touch with
loved ones at home and they greatly appreciate this gift from all of us in the states.
If you would like to come and help please call the store and let us know
626-967-9036. If you cannot make it but would love to donate some cards
please bring them by the store before the 17th.
*Please do not use glitter on the cards for safety reasons.
Simple themes like birthdays, holidays, love you, etc. are
great for this.
We hope you will consider taking part in this great chance to give back
and doing volunteer work for them is a worthy cause and will leave
you with a huge smile...
A Special Thank you from all of us at Hearts N Crafts
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