August 2015 Card Group Projects

Well, that was certainly a longer blogging break than I intended!  I was finding it challenging getting the work/leisure balance right.  I wasn't getting as much time to craft and blog, in fact hardly any time at all - nor did I have the energy!  I felt it was right to take a break and see how things were after that.  I definitely won't be crafting as much as I was before I started the job.  However, I've made attempts to carve out more "me" time so I can still craft occasionally - which is better than not at all!

After taking time to reflect and assess what I want and need I realised it's very important for me that I enjoy and get pleasure from my crafting hobby - and I want to be able to create just for me a lot more than I have been.  I really enjoyed sharing and teaching and I met some wonderful, inspiring women.  However, designing and prepping for classes takes a lot of time and energy and can become pressured and less than enjoyable when you're under time constraints.  I've decided to carry on with my monthly card group, I still hope to craft now and then with a couple of crafty buddies but I've decided I won't be running any classes aside from that.  I feel happier having come to a decision and am looking forward to crafting and blogging again - not as often as I used to but at least sometimes!

I managed to keep up with my card group commitments while I took my break and I thought I'd share the projects we made back in August.  I love making fancy shaped cards and dies are such useful tools for that!  I got a set of Grand Labels 11 Nestabilities dies for a great price from ebay.  Although the two largest dies in the set won't go through my Big Shot I can certainly make use of the other dies in the set and the labels are a perfect shape for fancy card bases.  I used a fave combo of Pool Party and Elegant Eggplant and dug out a neglected Hero Arts 'Floral' stamps and dies combo set for this Thinking of You card.  I used Elegant Eggplant and Garden Green markers to ink the flower stamp, I popped up the die cut shape onto the white circle and I also popped up the die cut sentiment shape.  I added three punched and shaped Elegant Eggplant flowers and I placed a pretty, iridescent gem in the centre of each flower.

This photo shows that I scored the Pool Party Grand Labels 11 shape, trimmed off one fancy edge and glued the plain Pool Party section to the back of a panel of white CS in order to form the card base.

Here's the inside - simply decorated with Elegant Eggplant photo corners.

Here's the envelope with a stamped flower on the flap.

The second card was CASEd from this lovely, inspiring card I saw made by Cindy Hall featuring the fabulous 'Butterfly Basics' set.  Cindy used a very elegant combo but I opted for a bold and bright colour scheme for my version.  I added some shine by sprinkling on a few gold sequins.

Here's the inside and the envelope.

The third item was a rare non card project - a memo block and pen gift in a cello bag with a topper.  I used just one half of a 600 sheet 85 mm square memo block and used a 5 3/4" square of black CS to make the tray for the memo block to sit in.  After cutting the 5 3/4" square I scored at 1 1/8" on all four sides, trimmed tabs, die cut a fancy hole from the front section, glued patterned paper panels on three sides and glued the tabs together to form the tray.  I attached a 'Just a Note' tag to some Watermelon Wonder lace ribbon, tied the ribbon in a knot around the tray and added the mini pen.  I scored a length of Watermelon Wonder CS in half to form a topper, glued a strip of the lacy patterned paper to one side, sealed the 6" square cello bag, positioned the topper and stapled it in place to the bag.  

Here's the memo block and pen tray out of the cello bag.

The card group ladies don't always like a non card project so I sneaked this up on them and wasn't 100% sure of the reaction it would get!  I'm very happy to say they all loved it - in fact they wanted to make another one that they could give away as a small Christmas gift!  I duly obliged for the October get together.  I'll share the September card group projects in the next day or so and will follow with the October projects.

I've made a few other cards too while I've been on my blog break and I'm looking forward to sharing those with you soon!

Supplies for Thinking of You card:
Stamps: Hero Arts/Sizzix 'Floral' stamp & die combo set
CS: SU! Pool Party, Elegant Eggplant, & Whisper White
Ink: SU! Elegant Eggplant & Garden Green
Tools: Spellbinders Grand Labels 11 Nestabilities die, circle Nestabilities dies, dies from Hero Arts/Sizzix 'Floral' stamp & die combo set, Woodware flower punch, SU! Photo Corners punch
Embellishments & accessories: iridescent gems, Dimensionals

Supplies for Happy Birthday card:
Stamps: SU! 'Butterfly Basics' set
CS: PaperMania white A6 card blank,SU! Melon Mambo, Pacific Point & Whisper White
Ink: SU! Daffodil Delight, Old Olive & Pacific Point
Embellishments & accessories: SU! Melon Mambo ribbon, gold sequins

Supplies for memo block & pen gift:
Stamps: Hobby Art 'Sentiments' clear set
CS: SU! Basic Black & Watermelon Wonder 
Patterned paper: black & white lacy patterned paper from unknown source
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Tools: SU! Simply Scored, SU! plain & scalloped oval punches, Sizzix 'Banners, Fancy' Framelits die, small hole punch
Embellishments & accessories: SU! Watermelon Wonder Dotted Lace ribbon, Wilko memo block, Zebra Z Grip mini ballpoint pen, 6" square cello bag