Mr Cardmaker aka Mr Caffeine

As it turns out, the best way to avoid caffeine crash is just to keep your level on an even keel. Sounds easy enough, right?
The nuance comes when you're able to maneuver well enough to gauge it so you keep energy all day long, but quit at the exact level that just might actually let you sleep a good portion of the night ahead of you.

I have not reached this level of expertise.

I do make cards about coffee and tea (and drinking in general) on occasion.
Like now.
I made this--

Now that I have returned to Stampin' Up and the catalogs that go with that, I have relearned to appreciate the non-standard sized card. A2 is a good friend of mine, but it's time to branch out.

This is a 4 1/4" square card, so my branching out here is more like a "sprigging" out.

So, I'm back to the Balloon Celebration stamp set for my sentiment and stars, with the mug die cut with the Cups and Kettle framelits.
I probably had to trim my last card, so I had the strip of wood grain to play with. Add a fun striped scrap, and there you go. Dare I say "boom!"?

The little steam heart is also in that stamp set. As I remember, it was a bit of an "oh, I don't like that negative space" afterthought.

But wait! There's more!
I made this--

This one is similar to the one I shared last time (scroll down to see that post), but much more colorful, and with a bonus SPOON!
Not too sure about that washi tape bow...It'll fly, but I don't know that I'd do it again.

I did some playing around with the depth of the elements and I used my stylus tool to press some depth into the bowl of the spoon. That didn't photograph as well as it could, though.

I did sneak in a second stamp set on the blue cup in order to do the dots. I gotta mix it up--that's how I roll...

SO many more possibilities with these stamps and dies. I do love it when I have great tools with an amazing amount of flexibility.(Wait until I show you the balloons! All with the same stamp set!)

But, I have one more cups card to share. Stay tuned!

Thanks so much for stopping by!
All Best--
Richard

Mr Cardmaker and the Mystery of the Lost Mugs

I always love seeing that people bring treats with them to enjoy while crafting. I have never been one to bring  food into my craft space--I have enough trouble keeping my projects clean without chocolate or grease marks on them. I think some gummy bears would be nice, from time to time, though...
I have, however, been known to bring a hot cup of what-have-you in with me when it's time to create. I think it gives me that needed pause when I want to contemplate an idea, that breather when I'm getting frustrated with that thing that's not quite working, or that welcome stalling tactic when the mojo is just NOT flowing.

So, it's no surprise that I have to go hunting for the dead soldier tea and coffee cups on a regular basis. Luckily, for the most part I can always find things on my work table. It's on days when I paint a wall or a room, or on housecleaning day when I have to run recognizance, hunting all the corners where I may have had too many things in my hands. I have yet to have a total loss. I wear that badge proudly.

My love for warm beverages spills over into my craft work on occasion, and that makes me smile. Do you know about Coffee Loving Papercrafters? Check them out-There's a fun Facebook group for them, too.

I made this--

I joined Stampin Up recently, just for the deal and discount (as you do),and I got some wonderful new things to play with!

I LURVE the die set--THREE different cups, a teapot and other stuff. And, it pairs so nicely with the Balloon Celebration stamp set, thanks to the wonderful sentiment stamps!  The "tea" can be replaced with champagne, coffee and hot chocolate, or if you are really hardcore, you can leave it without adding anything. That can lead to ugly mornings, though. Don't ask how I know...

Now, there is a stamp set that goes with the dies, but I am too cheap uh frugal uh, financially limited to buy everything I like, so I was happy to see this set working with other elements. I DID buy the balloon punch. Birthdays and New Year's and stuff, you know..

(PS-Yes, I am selling this stuff, if somebody asks, FYI. Check out the catalogs in my sidebar and ask me about getting $155.00 worth of stuff for $99.00 [for a limited time] if you'd like. I loved it first, though.)

The decorations on the cups are from the Balloon Celebration set- I think my favorite is the little dandelion sprig thingy on the top mug. Love it with the yellow AND white!

The background stamp is from Hero Arts, but SU also does a wood grain background. And a doily because, well, teacups. We are piss elegant POSH around here!

I have more of these cards to share, and I will do just that. After a cup of tea. Or three...
And then, the mug hunt...

Thanks so much for stopping by!
All Best-
Richard

Mr Cardmaker LOVES a White Pencil

You know how when sometimes you make a FAST card, and somehow it turns out to be something you really love? AND it's because of the very last thing you do?

I made this--

So, this is an older set from Stampin Up called Wetlands, but it's new to me. I love the images.
There's a goose that I need to do something with soon, too.

So, this is simple, simple stamping, with an embossed greeting, and some dry embossing on the top part of the panel.
It's the white underbellies of the sandpipers that makes this whole thing for me. And, yes, it's the last thing I did. and I barely did ANYTHING at all, but wow, what a big difference. And, it's even kind of messy. it works, though, IMHO.

I can't believe I only made one of these. I WILL be going back and doing more. I always have need for a masculine card, what with all the uncles and nephews.

Since I seem to be pumping out a good few birthday cards these days, and the family is just about already covered, I'm going to be jumping on the #bringbackbirthdays campaign. Spreading happiness around just sounds good to me.

Keep that white pencil close at hand. You never know when it'll work magic for you...

Thanks so much for stopping by!
All Best-
Richard

Mr Cardmaker Builds a Birthday Stash

So, I REALLY don't care for that feeling you get when you realize you need a birthday card yesterday, and there is just no time available to make one.
What usually happens in this instance is, I end up sending some old card from my stash that I made AGES ago, and, too often, I have to see just how much I don't like my old stuff.

So, in order to avoid that lousy feeling, my thing for 2016 is PREPARATION. I am doing LOTS of cards, multiples when I can, and really building my stash. I will continue to make one as I want/need one when I can, but having something to rely on in a pinch will be a HUGE load off my mind.

To that end, I made this--

This is a big mash up of stamps--Wplus9 gift, Lawn Fawn sun and sentiment, Tim Holtz bird, Unity cloud, and Stampin' Up grass.
I love those birds by Tim Holtz. I just get so tickled by those facial expressions.

I colored the bird and gift with colored pencils, and I coated the bird's eyeballs and beak with Glossy Accents. Shiny is good..

The sun, bird, and gift are all popped off the card front with foam tape.
Pretty simple card, really, but it certainly fits the bill for a handy birthday card, suitable for anybody.

So, I made four of them!

The big challenge I can foresee with making ahead too many cards, is the possibility of running into next year and sending the SAME card to somebody TWICE. 
Ooooooh, yeah, that would probably suck. I will have to ponder how to avoid that issue...

At any rate, I am off and running with my stash, and there's many more ahead.
I'm entering this card at Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge.
Stay tuned!

Thanks so much for stopping by!
All Best,
Richard

Mr. Cardmaker is (Nearly) Heartless

So, weird thing-

Heart-shaped things are not my groove. Just don't feel the whole heart shape thing.
Give me a square, a circle (yes!), even a rhombus. Hearts? You can keep those, but thanks just the same.

So, it makes Valentines day sort of difficult.
I did, years ago, break down and get the triple heart punch from Stampin' Up, but I find that being without heart dies is making V-Day creativity harder and harder. I may have to suck it up and find some used dies, somewhere. Anybody overloaded with heart dies out there? Helloooooo...?

Anyway, I managed to come up with a Valentine for my Honey--

I made this--

Well, I started with a deep discount bin stamp on the background of my card base. I then sponged a scrap of the same card stock with some Picked Raspberry Distress Ink, letting it fade out at the bottom, and die cut my "love" with a Little Yellow Bicycle die.

Well, this is where I had to start being creative. I could've folded and hand cut some hearts like we did in grade school, but my little eye spied the negative of my die cut, which caused ol' Inspiration to slap me upside my head.

Stencil! Yup, yup, yup!
A sponge dauber and some more ink, and away I went, all over the background.
I was really happy I hadn't popped out the little chad things from my die cut's letters, because when the time came to mount it, I was happy it looked more like the background stencil.

So, finally, it was time to pull out that heart punch o'mine. I had this hot pink, glittered paper saved from a gift bag given to me ages ago, and it was the perfect time to make use of it. I lined a bunch of hearts up on a banner shaped piece of pink striped paper, popped that up on top of a gold foiled banner piece, and layered all of that on top of a sweet 4" doily.

Doilies must have been super cheap when I was coming through grade school, because memories of them when we made valentines sure do fill my brain. I love them on a valentine!

I popped up the die cut "love" with some foam tape, and to give it more presence, I coated it with a thick layer of Glossy Accents. I do love me some shine!

I felt like the left side of the card was a bit of a snore, so at the last second, I stamped a textured stripe, and hit it with some gold embossing powder. Because, shiny...

And there you have it!

My sweet Charlie sure did love it, as I loved the ARMLOAD of roses, both yellow and red, he brought home to me!
I'm not worthy....

I hope you have a wonderful Valentine's Day, and if you get the day off tomorrow for Presidents Day, enjoy it! (Go make something!)

Thanks so much for stopping by!
All Best-
Richard