A Pirate's birthday for me

I have a card for you today that will make any little pirate squeal with delight.  Again, super simple.  Your recipe card for this project is as follows:

1 half sheet of cardstock, scored at 4.5 (4 1/2)"
4 x6 sheet of pattern paper
3x5 index card for the inside (Optional)
die cut figure of a pirate (I used the paper dolls cartridge by Cricut, but any die cut from any die cut machine (manual or electric) would do)

Cut out your paper doll, and dress it up to look like a pirate.  On the cricut cartridge for both Paper dolls and Everyday Paper dolls, the figure comes with no expression, so the best way is to either draw on the face (if you are good a brave, or cheat by stamping on a face.  A good stamp company is a company called Peachy Keen Stamps.  Many people who use these two cartridges a lot, order from this company.  Get the one with a lot of expressions on it, that way you will only buy one package, which is very economical.  You can always buy another pack later.

Switching to the card itself.  score your half sheet of cardstock at 4.5" down the center.  Fold.   Next mat it with the pattern piece of paper.  Lastly, attach the paper doll.  Pop it up on 3-d dots, and center.  Last is the sentiment, which you can stamp, print on printer paper, then put a piece of same color cardstock behind it.  You can then lay it flat or pop it up as well.  I am doing the third option and trusting my sentiment to my own handwriting.  Since this is for a child, no fancy handwriting since the child is reading (or have the parents read for him) Same with if you decide to print it from the printer.  Save the scroll or cursive writing for weddings or something elegant and regal.

I hope you liked today's card, and you will make one for your little pirate.  Change it up, and make it your own.  If your little one does not like pirates, change out the figure by making them a sports figure, or of the card is for a little girl, turn the pirate into a ballerina, princess or even cupcakes if she is not into pirates.   Also change the size.  I will be honest, I wanted to make a true 4x6" card, and I scored it too short.  I loved the look, so instead of getting out a another sheet of cardstock, I kept it.  It is good to be A-symmetrical sometimes.  After all, your child is not looking for perfection, they are look for you, their parent.
They want you to make the cards for them instead of buy one.  They want your words on that card, not some copycatted word.  For the inside, the option here is to place a 3x5 card (lined or not).  write your best note on the inside on how you love your child or give a word of encouragement.  If you do not have a whole lot of money, make the card out of construction paper, and cut out with a pair of scissors some goofy little shape and place it on the card without the pattern paper.

Have fun and be blessed everyday.

Related articles

• Happy Birthday girl-Monochromatic
• Save time and money: Make your own kit...Part 2
• With Faith,There is Hope

How to make a journal spiral notebook…

Spiral Notebook (Photo credit: Hey Paul)

Ingredients:

•          1 photo either from a website that allows royalty free photo or a picture taken by you.
•          Photo friendly paper to print photos on, but can bend to the shape of chipboard.
•          A printer that can print photos
•          Chipboard (2)
•          Mod Podge (matt or Gloss, Choice is yours)
•          Binding machine (prefer a Bind it all, cinch, or a commercial type, but any can do)
•          O-wires or spiral wires  
•          Lined or blank sheets of paper (again the choice is yours)

Alternatives:

All binding and photo copying can be done at an office supply store, with a copy center (all the major stores have this) but it comes at a price.  Depending on how many you are making, it can become costly, both in time and in price.  If you are doing this on a regular basis, invest the time and money in getting a good binding machine, printer, and laminating system.  Who knows, you make be able to make some money, and this three- machine system may pay for itself in the long run.

A word about using photos and photo imagine sites:

We all have photos we are not proud of.  Several factors go into why a perfectly good photo opportunity goes wonky.  They include:

•     Fidgety subjects
•     Not enough lighting
•    Weather
•   Bad camera
•  No camera (using a smartphone or device as a camera)

In this case, you can turn your photos into a journal cover, but what if you are just not satisfied with the quality of your photos or you just do not take photos at all?  Yes, you can turn to a photo image site.  These sites are great for that last minute presentation you have to do, creating things such as journal covers, and scrapbook layouts that do not involve family members.  Be very careful, because on some sites, you do have to join in order to get the photo you want.  Most are free and you just have to pay for the photo itself.   There are others you have to pay a premium price, and if you just want 1 or 2 photos, it is not worth the price they charge per month.   You can always use the internet images but why risk it.  The chances are that image is protected by the copyright law.  Your best chance is an image that is free of this law.   Just google search the term “Royalty free” or “free images”.

Back to what I was saying…

You can create the photo cover one of two ways:
Using a software program, such as Photoshop or MS Publisher, and create a cover with the photo and type in text at the bottom like this:

• Print it off, and cover the chipboard or
• Print directly on the chipboard itself.  Your printer has to be able to except the chipboard or you can always take it to a copy center.

Next, cut the lined or blank paper to the size of the chipboard.

With the binding machine of choice, follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how to bind with your machine. Optional:  if you do not have a binding machine, you can go to the copy center and have them bind it for you.  Keep in mind that if the cover is that of a copyrighted picture, they may not do it for you or charge you extra for it.  They will also make you sign a waiver that the picture is indeed yours.  Even if the picture is taken at professional studio the copy center may not do it, so ask ahead of time before starting this project.

Once bonded, the notebook is basically ready for use.  You can always dress it up with other things or leave as is.

Related articles

• Paper, the foundation to a great card or layout.
• 7 Great Ways To Find Free Images Online

The Holidays are coming, Need Help?

 (Photo credit: emariecards)

Hello-

Reminder:  You have less than 100 days before the big holiday season arrives.  Are you nervous?  Yeah, I know I am shaking too.  Nothings worst than forgetting that all too important toy that the soon to be 4 year old niece has wanted since LAST Christmas.  Yep, I got it covered (Yeah, right.   By The Way, she's 4 this week!!!)
Anyway, I am here to help.  (elevator pitch...) "I work with women who want to make memories or brighten someone's day."  How do I accomplish that feat?  Good question, by creating scrapbooks, mini books, and cards of all occasions for customers.  I also create gifts too.  I am in the process of restocking my Etsy store, and I am in the process of creating items for my Melah, Bonanza, Goodsmith's stores and do a couple of Ebay listings.  So if you are looking for something to send to your wonderful family, a gift, or some that brighten up someone's day, just let me know.

Be Blessed everyday, and have a great week.

Happy Autumn

Hello, I have made this card for the Card a Day Blog today, and the card is super simple, because I love simple.  To make this card, you will need to do a little prep work to the card blank, other than that, this card does not take long to make.  

Ingredients:

1 card blank, folded in half, cut off about an inch off to make it asymmetrical at the bottom.
1 card mat cut smaller than the card blank itself.
felt leaves, acorns, and pumpkins.  The ones I had came from American Crafts Holiday House Fall collection.  This is a discounted item in many stores, so the best place I can say to find them is either on Ebay or make your own , using brown, green , red, orange, and yellow felt.  It can be cut from a die cutting machine (manual or electronic), punch, or freehand.
Gel pen (white) and a black fine tipped marker.

Glue the mat on the inside, and glue small felt leaves, acorns, and pumpkins at the bottom of the card as shown.  Next, glue bigger leaves, acorns, or pumpkins on top of he card.  Write or print out the words, "Happy Autumn" on the card.  for a more decorative touch, doodle little dashes on squiggly line around the edge on the inside and outside of the card, as also shown in the picture.  This is a fun card for the kids to make, and you ca change out the felt pieces for different times of the year.

Enjoy, and Be blessed, everyday.

Related articles

• Pumpkin Seeds
• Autumn Birthday Card
• An Autumn Birthday
• 15 Easy Fall Decorating Projects

Fall crafting musings

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Before you see you see the latest card I made, I want to take time out to talk to you about doing a little organizing.  Yes, I know people organize in the spring (Spring Cleaning), but I am talking about organizing your crafting space, no matter what type of crafting you do, rather it is needle crafting, sewing, scrapbooking, or some other craft.  First of all, it has been recommended that a person do two major cleanings:  Spring and Autumn.  This does not count towards the everyday cleaning you do.  I am starting to do that for the first time in my life.  So as I do things around the house, including time management and my crafting area, I want to document everything I do. Currently, my townhouse does not lend itself for me to have a whole room for my crafts, that's for my next house, which I want to upgrade to 3-4 bedrooms, maybe a basement, AND A BIG YARD for children to run around in.

I have been in a slump all summer craft wise.  Sure, you have seen my cards when I make them for the Card a day blog (I have another one tomorrow), but between vacations (went to a family reunion and to Canada), a Longaberger consultant's convention, working to get my Longaberger business together (I have been spending lots of time at Homestead promoting the business and the company), and dealing with personal and spiritual things (God is not a thing, it is mostly my church and lots of activities to reintroduce my church to the community again), I am lucky I even remembered I do this for a living. (you can breathe now, sorry for the long sentence).   So now it is September, and my house looks like a cyclone has been through it.  Sure I did basics, but since I do not own this town home, my landlord (My daddy) wants to come in to paint while he has a painter available, plus I do not like how it looks either.  I just hope he lets me pick out my paint color.  Back to the organizing side of crafting.

I have not touched my cricut machines in 5 months, which is the longest I have gone ignoring them, since ignoring baby bug (original Cricut) when I first got it.  So the first thing I did was created a maintenance chart for them in Excel.  I noted things such as check blades, get a deep cut blade for all three, check the print ink levels on the Imagine, and do updates on all three (E1 (Original Expression Machine) E2 Anni. (I have the 5th anniversary version of the E2) and Imagine machines).  Also included are checking mats and cartridges.  Next I ran an update on my computer, and updated CCR (Cricut classroom) Adobe Air, and Cricut Sync.  of course they were out of date.  Since the last time I updated (back in January 2012), I added a new antivirus software from Microsoft, but it activated my firewall, so I had to tell the firewall that it is OK to download anything from ProvoCraft.  Now, I am running updates on the E2 since it was the closest machine to the computer.  I want to "Pinkafy", (if there is such a word) my E2 and Imagine to add Pink end caps to replace the grey ones on the Imagine machine and the green ones on the E2.  No rush one the deadline.

Finally, I need to move some furniture around, and it involves my siblings and my eldest nephew.  No one can never be still long enough for me to tell them what I need, so I am playing by ear. (where's a good husband when you need him, and I want one, so ladies, are you willing to give up your hubby for a day?  I will feed him-JK)  Oh, and I am creating a binder.  Taking some advise from the home organizers who craft (and on You Tube), this is where I am going to separate everything.  Personal from business, tools from paper, envelopes from chipboard.  You name it.  The binder is a pink binder from Staples, and so far, I am happy with the process.

My last advise for you as you organize, take advise from the experts, but make it your own.  For example, I love the binder system that Alejandra from Home Organizing on You tube has, but I also have some old binders that I either have to incorporate in the new system or get rid of only to by lots of Staple's binders, which is not very cost effective.  So to combat this problem of mine, I will look at the older binders to see what I can use, then go to Staples to replace the bad ones.

So tonight you will be able to see the card I made this time, which is in the theme of Autumn.  If you have any comments or advise, please send them.  In the meantime, have a blessed evening.

Related articles

• Overload...craft projects.

Free gift with Purchase at Two Peas

Starting at Noon today


Receive a FREE gift with every purchase at Two Peas in a Bucket. Offer valid on non-digital product & while supplies last.