My Very First Blog Entry – Leadership Swaps

 

So now I have my own blog – now what?  What could I possibly have to say or share that would be important enough for another person to read.  Hmmm…

Well, here’s my attempt, anyway, to share my latest craft projects or attempts thereof.  Along the way I’m sure I’ll have lots of other stuff to share, too – I do tend to be a bit chatty, though, so be prepared to settle into your chair for a while and sip a BIG mug of hot chocolate… 

So…I am headed to Stampin’ Up!’s Leadership Conference in Houston, Texas this Thursday.  I have to admit, I’m a bit intimidated by attending an event with such talented demonstrators.    I’m usually the ‘expert’ at my workshops, stamp clubs and stamp camps – but now I’m going to be surrounded by hundreds of demonstrators who do what I do only much better.

I have been working on my swaps for the last week – I’m really trying to get them just right (or at least close to something I can swap without being embarrassed, anyway).

So…I came across this template in some stamping/scrapping magazine (I have so many that I fear I will be crushed by them falling over on me someday) where you pull on the top and the bottom folds in.  Perhaps a photo would help.  Here’s my first attempt at making this card:

Here it is closed:

And here it is open:

Not difficult, just a little time consuming.  Some extra cutting, scoring and lots of strategically placed glue!

So I was set to make a bunch of these for my swaps and then I realized that this stamp set (Double Line Doodles) will not be available until next year’s catalog.  But the colors I used included Cool Caribbean – an “In Color” from SU! that will be discontinued next year.

So…I redid the card using a stamp set from the big catty – Sweet Shapes.  But I still used my color combo of Cool Caribbean, Real Red and Chocolate Chip.

Here it is closed:

And here is it open:

Not too bad, I guess – I like it anyway.  But what a pain to make in large numbers – I only made 25.

And I thought I was doing pretty well…until I read on the SCS message boards that other demos were making hundreds of swaps!  Aaaaaaaah!

So…I decided to make another card.  But something simpler this time.  I started playing around with some color combos and found that I really liked Sahara Sand together with Cameo Coral and Always Artichoke.  And I wanted to use Polka Dots and Paisley since all the demos would be sure to have that one (and can use it with the Spring Mini).  I also wanted to use the new card size suggested in January’s Stampin’ Success – 3X6.

So…here’s what I came up with:

My original design was a little different – I used the 1 1/4 circle punch on it.  But like a stressed-out stamper desperate for the perfect swap, I grabbed the 1 3/8 punch instead and punched out and colored in all the circles in the wrong size!  I wasn’t about to re-do them, so I modified my design a little bit.  There’s Dazzling Diamonds on the last flower – hence the ‘Sparkle’. 

So now I’m good with swaps, right?  No – not me!  I decided I needed to do one more little project in case someone wanted to swap 3-D items.  I was inspired by Valentine’s Day and thought I’d throw together a quick little tag book with a more distressed feel.  It would make a great little scrapbook or maybe a valentine to list inside the reasons you love someone.  Here’s what I came up with:

I really like these, but they used up the last of my black and red gingham ribbon and the last of my narrow twill tape.  When the ribbon ran out, I decided to stop (Isn’t that always the way?  Why do we decide to do a design for a swap using supplies that we are almost out of?) – I only made 5 of these.

So now I’m done, right?  No – not me!  I glanced around my craft room and saw an unopened container of dominoes…see where this is going?  I decided to make just a few domino pins.  I stamped them, colored them with pastels then covered the tops with Crystal Effects and sprinkled on some silver glitter.  I really like how these came out.   I made 20 of them.

But…then I realized that I wouldn’t have enough room to list my contact info and supplies on the back, so I just had to make up some tags on which to put the info.  Now…I couldn’t just use a plain tag, right?  No,  I just had to stamp it too.  Sigh…

I finished these up this morning – I attached the pins to the tags – it’s a nice way to present the pins, I think.  A little top-heavy, but at least I’ll be able to include all my info on the back.

I almost started another project…I was experimenting with a bracelet idea that I had seen in yet another vaguely-remembered craft magazine (I have to stop reading those darn magazines!).  Something about a bracelet made out of tags…

So instead of folding the laundry that’s been in the dryer since yesterday, I made up a quick prototype:

 

Lousy photos, I know.  I may expand on this idea later – it might be fun for kids to do.  I laminated the tags so they’ll hold up to wear-and-tear.  Kids might like to stamp their names on the tags…I need to stop playing and move on…I haven’t even packed yet…and the laundry’s still there (you know it’s bad when you have to resort to using beach towels for your shower because all the other towels are dirty…)…