Newest project in the works

I decided to do something a little different for this project.  I've seen these around, not this design, but the concept.  This is one design in a set of five.  So, four more to make.  I've already designed the others so all I have to do is tweak them and actually make them.

They aren't greeting cards.  Any guesses as to what these are?

Let's try something different today.

A scrapbook layout I made awhile back.  I made this layout featuring some of our 2008 honeymoon pictures.  We went to the island of Oahu.  It was an amazing trip.  If I could have a vacation home there I would.

The layout started out as a big mess but I made it work somehow.  My husband has actually been giving me input from time to time on my projects and he had the idea to make the flowers stick up to give the page dimension.  Great idea!  He is seriously amazingly creative.  I can't even imagine what he would come up with if he did this.

Well, on to the fun stuff!  Here are the pictures.  It's really hard to just pic one or two pictures to post so here are a ton.

Bright and colorful

Petals are raised off the paper, embossed and inked

Lots of embossing

Caption, stamped then glittered

Another petal shot

Part of the details, embossed and inked

I used a lot of embossing and inking on this page.  It gives it character and adds extra color to the elements.  I hope you enjoyed! It's not easy coming up with ideas out of nowhere and this is exactly what I did with this one.  I started off with doing it one way but that didn't look right so on it went until this happened.

I have no clue what my next page will be but I know it will be fun to make.
 

 

Spring In a Variety of Colors

After posting pictures of the pretty Spring Butterflies card I received an order for four more.  The customer asked for the same card but in a variety of colors.  I really like how they turned out.

I love these cards.  I think these are cards I wouldn't mind making over and over.  Sorry to all my friends and family in advance.  You may not see any other cards from me other than these.  What do you think of a red and green Christmas card with butterflies?  Just kidding!

I also made an extra one for the Etsy shop, www.etsy.com/shop/19eighty

Hi Ho Hi Ho It's Off to Shop I go!

For any other crafters out there, Joann's paper is 5 for $.95 right now!  Guess where I'm headed?  Oh and Michael's has started selling new items such as wooden rubber stamps that cost much less than what they had before (and still have).  Both stores also carry rubber cling stamps!  I swear I was wondering awhile back why there wasn't such a product.  I am a fan of the rubber stamps so that's exciting news for me.

Anyone know of a sewing tool for scrapbookers?  I would love to start adding stitching to my crafts.  I love the look.

Off to shop I go! 

Spring Butterflies

Before I get to the main part of this entry I have to say that I sucked at taking pictures!  I am slowly learning how to take better pictures but I am a long way away from being perfect at it.  I have been working on revamping the pictures of some of my cards that I have listed on etsy.  I looked at the pictures of some of my older listings and thought, "No wonder no one has bought them yet, they look terrible in this picture!".  I promise they look so much better in person but how can I sell them if they look bad in the picture?  Well, I am changing that and redoing some of them.

Now to the nitty gritty of this post.  A new card!

It has been beautiful out this way in Southern California the past few days.  While the north east has been getting hit with more snow we have been getting nothing but sunshine and warm, almost too hot, weather.  It hasn't really felt like spring yet (more like summer) but with this warmer weather it's definitely a sign that winter weather is heading out of here.  OK, OK, you east coast people laugh all you want about me saying winter weather.  I know it may sound like an oxymoron for Southern California and winter to be used in the same sentence but I tell ya, it gets cold here!  27 degrees and me scraping ice off my car = cold to me!

Spring butterflies....

Pink and green makes me think of spring!

The butterfly is embossed then glittered

Bottom strip is embossed with a green bow tied in the center

Spring is in the air

I posted this card on my Facebook page, 19Eighty Expressions, and started working on listing it on Etsy.  I got as far as the title when someone asked to purchase it off my Facebook page!  It was up for a record 12 seconds before it was sold and never even made it to Etsy!  The same person ordered four more in a variety of colors so there will definitely be more available.  Maybe I will be able to get it to Etsy before any sell!

Hello Kitty Card

I made a super cute Hello Kitty card for a coworker today.  She plans on sending it to a friend of hers that she doesn't see too often.  It's really hard for me to make a card with a character on it.  I feel like there has to be a scene to go along with it but after looking at some other cards for inspiration I realized that's not so.  I just have to fill the rest of the card with other things. 

I dry embossed the shirt & bow to add texture

Now that I've gotten the basics of using characters on cards I don't think I will be so hesitant to make the next one!

Shadow Box Collage

I got the idea for this next project from a fellow blogger, Amy over at http://aimitup.blogspot.com/.  Her work is amazing!!  I visit her blog often for inspiration because her work is really that awesome.  Lately I've been thinking that I would like to expand my papercrafting repertoire and seeing her shadow box collages inspired me.

I was trying to figure out what to get a good friend for her birthday.  I was so lost as to what to get.  She's pretty creative as well and I wanted to get her something special, but what?  One day it hit me out of nowhere....a collage!  It would be perfect and I could design it myself.  I used some of her favorite colors and added the word "Create" to it.  Hopefully she can hang it in her craft area or area where she designs.  I also made a matching card.

This card is not the exact one I gave to my friend.  It says "Just Because" so it obviously isn't a birthday card.  I loved the card so much that I made one similar.
 

 
Hope you enjoyed these.  I love love love them and the color combo.