Well, You Learn.....

Sometimes I really hate blogger. One day it'll let me blog, the next it won't. I finally get to sit down and write!

I have learned my lesson about hosting LTC swaps... Double check to make sure you dished out ALL your cards before sending them. Back in November I hosted not only my first swap, but my fist inchie swap. With over 500 cards to sort I managed to miss an engine set of cards. Luckily they were mine. Well, it is now January 2013 and I'm finally sending out the cards to those who gave me their addresses.  I even had one letterboxer send me a set of inchies related to the swap to send everyone. The stressful part about this is that while i was getting everything ready i could find the set of cards i needed to mail! I looked everywhere and thought I was going to have to restamp them. i did manage to find them. I felt so bad missing that one card. Oh we'll, you learn from your mistakes right?

Now over the past few weeks I have had winter break from school and what not, but I have also been working on some we cards. I only have one set done, an inchie set, but I'm going to post a picture with the card update later. However, before my break on December 22, I had already carved and started stamping my cards for the Places You Find Cats swap. I ended up giving all my blank cards to my secret Santa individual, leaving me with no blank cards. And just to my luck, it doesn't look like I have any white card stock left!

I have decided that I hate white ink. For the Monty Python and the Search for the Holy Grail, I am carving the rabbit that attacked the knights. Since the rabbit is white I decided not to cut out an outline but keep it solid and stamp the image on black paper with white ink, right? Well it started out with the first ink pad. I got the cheapest ink pad at Michael's which was a bad idea. The ink was more like pain than stamp ink. Not only that but when it dried it was all chalky and could easily be smeared all over the black paper. Fun, right? Well, I went back and got some Color Box ink. Stuffs better, but not my favorite. It works for what I'm doing, look better than the first ink too! Only issue is, well one of a few... It doesn't look the way I thought it would. Could very well be the paper cussing this issue. Another is that I'm trying to draw over parts of it with armed marker but it ends up pink! Blood is not pink! So does anyone have some tips or tricks to using white stamp ink? If o, I'd love to hear!

I also discovered that my work space is very easily invaded by my brothers and their junk. My 15 year old brother set his books and stuff on my cards and my 8 year old brother bend up some up my paper. I also learned tat I need to get better at cleaning up as I go or I never gets clean.
I have learned a lot of things about making cards from my mistakes.mistakes make life interesting though. Also gives me something to write about.

Well, I hope everyone had a great Christmas and a happy New Year! Soon I am hoping to post some of my new cards as well as my tutorial on an inchie binder holde I've made. Till then!

=(^._.^)=

"Chevron One, encoded"

It is nice to finally sit down and relax. Though it is very late as I'm writing this, it is still nice.
After the craft show, school work, and my birthday stuff, I can finally just chill.

I just got done hosting not only my first swap, but my first inchie swap. I had 13 participants, in including myself, and 39 different cards. "Cheveron One, encoded" is based off the Stargate from the syfy show, Stargate SG-1.
So here's how it works:

The gate is turned on and a series of symbols are chosen.

When each symbol is chosen...

it is locked into. Each time the symbols, or chevron is locked onto, a man says "Chevron one, locked on to; Chevron two, encoded; Chevron three, locked on to." It is changed throughout each episode what he may say it.

Then a worm whole is open withing the gate...

Then it awaits for someone to travel through the worm hole to another planet based on the chosen cordinations.

 

So, for this swap all the symbols were carved that were on the Stargate. Everyone did a wonderful job on their cards and it was really cool being able to receive a full set of cards based off my favourite show!

This was my first time doing a swap and I was going pretty well and all. Everyone sent me their cards, I sorted them all out, and got them all ready to mail back to everyone. I had over 500 cards for this swap. It was a lot to sort through and I was just glad I got it to everyone. But..... as I began working on a new stamp for another LTC swap yesterday, I discovered a set of my own inchies that did not get sent out to everyone. Ug! I was trying so hard to be a good hostes and I forgot some cards! Well, now I have to get everyone's adresses to send them this one inchie. Well, I guessed I learned something from this swap. So far everyone has been understandable about it. I'm just glad it was my card I forgot and not someone eleses.

 

But over all, I think the swap went pretty well. I always strive to so a series that has never been done before.

Well, I am hosting a regular LTC swap if anyone is interested. And trust me, this time I'll make sure I have all the cards in :P It is, Plants vs Zombies and isn't due till March!

 

=(^._.^)=

 



Water Colors: A Love-Hate Relationship

I FINALY finished my LTCs. For a while now I have been working on the Art of Sandra Boynton: The Big Yawn or the Big Bite? cards. It took a very long time. It has taken me days to get these done. I think they look good but I don't think I will be doing anything like it again.
For these cards, I had to cut the water color paper, stamp all the cards, color the background, and paint the image. Not to mention all the labeling I had to do on the back. It was a lot of steps and took a lot of time. Here's the result:

 

The background was done with a mustard yellow Distress Marker. For the pink I used regular water color but instead of using a regular paint brush, I used a water brush made my Tim Holtz to do it and I loved it.

I made 31 of these. 24 of these cards are going to the "Art of Sandra Boynton" tracker. I have about 6 of them for trade.

As much as I liked the water color, it just took way too much time to do. I may do it again but it would have to be at some point where I have the time to do. I am currently getting prepared for an art show next weekend. Yes, these cards are do in January but when I start something I have a habit of needing to finish it as soon as I can. I also have about 5 other cards I want to do too.

Well, within the next 3 weeks I will probably start up a new card!

 

 

 

 

 



A Day of Nothing but LTCs

Today I spent a good 7+ hours working on LTCs. I have to say, I am tiered of making LTCs right now. Tyrus and I were working on LTCs yesterday for my inchie swap I am hosting that is due in 10 days. We got everything done yesterday exsept my Pegasus card. I wanted to try embossing with that card but I had to borrow embossing stuff from a friend at church. She finaly brought it over around 5p.m. and so I got all of those done.
The bigest chunk of my day was cutting out the 2.5x3.5 cards for regular LTCs. I have 32 water color paper cards cut out for my "Big Yawn" cards due in January. After I cut the cards I started stamping. I made a small dent in the stack but did not finish stamping all the cards. I really didn't want to work on these cards so I moved on. I did manage, however, to get 2 completed cards. 2 down 30 to go!
What did I do with they rest of my time? Well, I cut 40 standard LTC cards and 24 2.5x7 cards. I then stamped each one but I did 8 cards of 8 different stamps. That took a LONG time. I can't say what I did them for, or why, because it's going to be a suprise for some people. In time I will eventually tell what they were for.

And so begings the crazy adventures of my card making. This is merly the begining and more cards than you know will be on their way!

=(^._.^)=

Catchow