When the CHIPS are down

Happy Thursday :)  Today I am going to share how I took a paint chip and turned it into (hopefully) a cute card...

So the other day I was strolling through WalMart and as I often do I stopped to check out paint chips as I dream of repainting our bedroom soon (I say dream due to having to move a monstrous safe to do it) and these jumped out at me.  The browns for our room but the blues to use for cards.  Yes I looked at paint chips and saw cards - Operation Write Home cards to be exact.

So I snagged a few and headed home...  As you can see although the size is almost perfect for card fronts at almost 5 inches and just over 3 1/2 they have those pesky labels across the bottom and in the upper right corner.  First the bottom - this is fairly easy simply cut ribbon to size and adhere over the label.

But the upper right one needs some thought so I started digging around in my embellishment boxes looking for something to inspire me.  Nada but I pulled out a heart so I could see how much more width I needed to cover the label.  To my surprise it was the perfect size!  So I used my paper pierce and went through the button holes and the card front.

I then placed a piece of jute and used an extra piece to tie my knot on it.  I did not tie this as it added too much bulk for me.  Instead I pulled it tighter and went over the ends several times with my ATG gun.

This is a great stamp for Father's Day (deadline May 15) or just for general cards for your father (I have an I love you Mom stamp too). It was stamped much earlier and I missed jotting down the color I used - bad Betty! - so I just tired to match things as best I could.

I then mounted this on a card front that was 5 1/4 x 4 and rounded the corners of that.

This was then mounted on a blue Bazzill base.

 

I am very happy with how this turned out and can't wait to be inspired the next time I am wandering around the store.  I'd love to hear your greatest 'finds'...

Sketch Challenge 12

I love Sketch Challenge 12 posted over at OWH Stars & Stamps and I'm still loving the brown and blue color challenge so combined them...

Cardstock is Bazzill, patterned paper is from my scrap stash, Sentiment is from Stampendous! and honestly I pre-stamped a bunch of these so am not sure of the color anymore...

Am I running a fever?

Seriously someone check it for me ok because I am really worried I am really really sick...  What brought this one you ask?  Well I decided to do the Sketch Challenge #11 over at the Stars and Stamps Blog which also fits the Browns and Blues Challenge also found there but I digress.  So I decided to do this challenge and I found myself thinking what stamp can I work into this card?  Me thinking about a stamp in a positive non-panicked manner...I know I had to sit down too!  But it (Sending my Love) is one of my favorites a *very* close second to the So & So Loves stamp shown here.  It is just very strange to have favorite stamps since I have only collected them for ages. 

Without further ado:

This one is a Bazzill base and uses 2 different Chatterbox papers.  I stamped directly on the paper and altered the sketch slightly to cover my mis-stamp on the first attempt with the sentiment.  The 3 flowers and brads are from my stash and I have no idea beyond that.

Paper & Trimmers & Cardfronts - OH MY!

First I apologize for being so late getting this up...no excuse I'm just an idiot - no really.  I had hubby take the photos TOLD him what to label the folder to put them in and couldn't find them to save my life.  Of course I couldn't just admit to him I lost them...NO that would be like a man admitting he was lost [wink wink]

Without further ado here is what I have done to streamline my supplies and maximize my cardmaking.   I learned long ago I am a production line kind of girl - I do way better if I can focus on one task and just run with that than changing gears.  This is especially true when I am trying to be creative so when I started making cards for Operation Write Home on a regular basis I needed to figure out a production line approach.  Cardfronts was what I came up with, I am truly not sure if I made that up or read it somewhere but I like it so am keeping it. 

The most efficient cards to make are those where you need to do the least cutting so if you start with an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of cardstock for your base simply cutting it in half lengthwise at the 5 1/2 mark and then folding that in half for a base that is 5 1/2 x 4 1/4.  Can I also just say here this is also the size that is most user friendly for finding envelopes - takes a standard A2  - and allows OWH to be able to fit the most in a box to send to the HEROs. You then have a few options for 'decorating' the front for this post I'm only going to address using patterned paper as a 'cardfront'.  My cardfronts are patterned paper which has been cut into 6 pieces 5 1/4 x 4 and the left over 1 1/2 inch strip can also be used in either 3 pieces of 1 1/2 x 4 or 2 pieces of 1 1/2 x 5 1/4 each.  This allows for a nice margin that shows off the card front just a little more in my opinion.   So you only have 2 choices here having the design vertical or horizontal (shown below). 

The next photos show how I decide which way to go.  Before I start cutting I take my paper and have it facing me (note hubby was across the desk from me taking the photos so you have them many of them from his perspective [or upside down] cause I still have only figured out how to crop and size in photoshop)...  I place a card over an upper corner of the full sheet and see which direction gives the most impact for that design - especially when there are words on it as I don't want them all cut in half.

Once I've figured out which way I'm going I trim off a 1 1/2 inch strip from side that I want to cut in half for my long side (5 1/4 inch).

If I want a vertical design I cut with the design facing so I can read it and trim at 8 inches and 4 inches - turn a quarter turn and cut at 5 1/4 inches.

For a horizontal design I have the paper oriented the same as above but make my first cut at 5 1/4 turn a quarter turn and cut at 8 inches and 4 inches.

This is a horizontal cardfront being held on a base.  Yeah I most of you know what that looks like but Jay took the photo so I'm using it.  Have to keep him happy so he keeps buying the supplies to make the cards you know.

And here are a couple of options for using those 'scraps' and to see finished cards go here.  First your 1 1/2 x 4 inch pieces you can use one or 3 across the front of a card depending on your design it will be a horizontal or a vertical. 

If you go the 5 1/4 x 1 1/2 route it will look something like the following.  With this size piece I prefer to use a single one with a complimentary paper or image/sentiment stamp.

After trimming all my extra patterned paper stash into cardfronts I have them all stored so they are easy to take to a crop.  I will admit I am still working on a system that works for the smaller pieces but it will come.

It is fun to watch someone say I have this image but no paper that really works and several of us can now dig into our card fronts and find what is needed.  An evening with the girls is fun, relaxing and now even more productive.  Oh and because I'm a tad anal about such things this box is now sorted pretty much by color... 

I'm going to tackle my other odds and ends of scraps and get them card friendly or out the door they go as I have way too many.