Day 6 Unity Advent Calendar

Today's mini stamp worked as a great image to complete one of my previous Craft Roulette cards!  I tend to only complete the front of my Craft Roulette cards and quickly move on to the next week...I have a big task ahead of me, if I ever want to finish the insides of close to 100 cards!  lol!  Anyhow, I now have a card all ready for send to someone with a birthday.  :)  I should be indicating what the stamp image is that is in the calendar...  today, it is the slice of cake, which I made into a rich and yummy chocolate cake.

 

 And the card front...  I admit, I had an image left to finish coloring, because I usually stamp a couple images, in case I blurb up one....  I had most of a 2nd card finished, so I changed it up a bit from my original Craft Roulette card.  

 

 My original card was for episode #232

 

 Til tomorrow!  There definitely are some simple cards coming up from me....Not sure I'll make it to 24, it's a challenge, that's for sure, but it's been fun!

 

 

 

Day 5 Advent Calendar

 I had a little bit of a learning curve on this one....I guess a scientific reaction, lol...one that cost me time, precious time...but I really really wanted to see this card through, so short of almost redoing the whole dang thing...I layered another layer over the part I needed to fix.  I did run out of the shade of pink sparkly paper, however...so I took a pink alcohol marker and colored my sparkly white.  It's OK...it was better with the actual pink sparkly, not my colored white...but, it is what it is...my issue made the card subpar, and I didn't want to accept it as it was.  I wish I had taken a photo of what happened...I'll explain below the picture of my card.

Well, there might be a couple other "I want to redo's" on this card...but, I had already spent too much time on it...so I decided to move along!  :)

Here was my scientific learnings... Let me tell you about my new best friends:  Zip Dry Glue and Holographic Sticker Sheets

Zip Dry Glue 

Holographic Sticker Sheets

 So, about 2 years ago, I was inspired by another crafter to check out the holographic sticker sheets.  I really wasn't a sticker sheet type of person at the time, I kind of didn't know what to expect.  I was more of a grungy, distressed type of person when it came to my design... the power of plunking a stamp into ink and hitting the card stock to it, was and still is something I love doing.  That being said...once I applied this clear, patterned sticker sheet over my already stamped stamped card stock... I.FELL.IN.STICKER LOVE....  That's right...sticker love.  I've now purchased 3 times the big ole pack, I've gifted it, I've shared it...I adore it.  It's not pricey, and it can be fun...to see those twinkly little stars (or other, there are other patterns too, I have the stars)...is so much fun.

Next... Zip Dry Glue.  I was given one SO MANY YEARS AGO...and I never really gave it a huge ole try.  I even have a Martha Stewart version of it, and just kind of added to my adhesive pile.  Well...I was reintroduced to the notion of trying it while at Paperganza this summer... I decided to order one in when I got home...and I really really love the stuff.  It's like the cement glue we used as kiddos...  When the adhesive dries in the wrong spot, there is a window of time, where you can remove it and see zero residual on your card...  That's why I love it.  You have wiggle room time for what you are adhering, it really is good stuff.  Now...  It does not work for everything.  I would not attempt it with an embellishment, like a sequin or a enamel dot or something similar...after all...it is like that cement glue.

So here you go...  DO NOT USE IT ON ANYTHING THAT YOU HAVE APPLIED THE HOLOGRAPHIC STICKER PAPER TO...  I will REPEAT... it does NOT FARE WELL WITH THAT STICKER PAPER!!!  At least, that is what I learned the hard way...  I originally had my green background circle nice and pretty with the holographic sticker paper applied to it...  I then on the back of that green circle, I adhered it directly to my card.  Same with my original background on the inside of my card...  I'm not 100% sure if the zip dry glue was the culprit or not...but... within hours, my sticker started puckering!  BAD...the more I tried to smooth it down, the more I figured...oh nuts...I'll just make a new one.  I didn't learn about the inside of the card until after I had redone my green circle, the next day...so...twice that holographic sticker paper puckered on me...I thought it was a mystery with the circle...and didn't think to not use that zip glue when I finished the inside of the card the next day.  I was looking in my stash for extra stamped background paper (using the little "Happy Birthday) stamp...and I didn't have any left that I hadn't already used... so I basically started the thing all over again.  

 Last blunder...on my second "Happy Birthday" die cut that I colored pink...my eyes were hurting on my first "pink" that I colored...so...you guessed it...I was cutting that Happy Birthday out again...and the cake...and the gold trim with it...YIKES...this card didn't want me to finish it.  I see a little smudge on my "h" and decided "THAT'S IT...I'M DONE"...I want no more part of fixing this card.  Now, looking at my balloons on the inside...ok...I see ink that didn't fully saturate the card stock.  NO MORE NO MORE NO MORE attempts I say.  I settle with what I had...  The balloons are from a stamp set that was given to me by my UPLINE from Stamping UP! way back in the SU days, when I was my only customer!  lol...  I think it was like 2003 or so...  

 Before I toodle doo... I know my packages are not perfect, nor are the meant to be.  The stamp itself in the Advent Calendar is the word Happy Birthday, with the unique bow top.   I made the fun little colored "boxes" "packages" by taking part of the unwanted extra rubber that comes with a stamp kit.  I cut 3 little rubber boxes, so I didn't need to fuss with cleaning, fit to size, and used those as my boxes.  I am storing them with this cute little stamp for future use.  I loved thinking outside of the "box" for this one!!!  BLUNDERS AND ALL!!!!  
 

Day 4 Advent Calendar

 Short and sweet today....too much on my plate otherwise, and not enough hours in the day!  Glad I started the Advent Calendar 10 days early...will be cranking out some QUICK cards for a few of the days that are piling up on my desk right now.  I'm glad I worked ahead, as I have several days already complete...what fun stamps ahead though...I have things already made "in my mind".  lol  Today was QUICK and simple, so not really any product info to share...I really can say this took about 15 minutes to make, if that...lined up, one could crank something like this out very fast.  In the real world, I see me mass producing a simple card rather than one of my all the fluff ones!  lol!  That being said...I enjoy the process of it all...

 

 

Day 3 of Advent!

 My Day 3 Advent Calendar!  I really felt Scandinavian here....

 

 

 I ADORE Graphic 45 Paper...and had originally purchased a believe a couple of collection sets of this design family (I may find 1 or 2 unopened packages...I'm TRYING to organize my craft studio...but I recall buying 2-3 of the paper kits a few years ago, for a project I wanted to, but never started...)

 

As for the JOY letters...  I dug WAY BACK in my cabinet of wooden block Stamping UP! stamp sets...and what did I find?  GIANT LETTERS!  If I had Distress Oxide inks back in the day, I would have used these much more...and oh how am I glad...I never had the urge to purge ANYTHING!  It sure comes in handy for Craft Roulette and needs like this!  

 

Day 2 Advent Calendar!

 Advent Calendar Day 2!  I used a shimmery ink for the pine cones and ink blended the same for the cool bow on top of my "package".  It's a little tricky to fussy cut the insides of the bow loops, but very well worth it.  I love this stamp and see lots of reasons to use it for other celebratory events!

 Lisa Horton Cloud Nine Inks  (I purchased from Scrapbook.com)

 

That's a Wrap (Unity Stamps)

 I linked up a "bundle", but to be honest, I purchased 3 individual ones to test them out first.  I am loving my 3, I used a green one with yesterday's mini tree Advent Calendar entry, and you may see another color coming up.  I linked the bundle to show the variety.  A little tricky for me to get the hang of a smooth blending, but, I truly think it's a combo of me using cheap blender brushes, and maybe not the right card stock.  Any suggestions of both...brushes and card stock... are welcome to send my way.  I am just learning, and open to new ideas on how to use some of my premium inks!  :)

 I'm limited on time, so I'm not going to link up anything else, but if you do have any questions, leave a comment, and I will be sure to send info your way!  :) 

December 1 = Advent Day 1

 Well, the sneak peeks may be a little ambitious now, since we are in the process of assembling 250ish gift baskets over the next few days...BUT...good news, I have sort of kept up with my days that I started opening about 10ish days ago.  I am doing them in order, day by day...and will NOT share before it's "real date", I promise.  I will say, there is a variance on these cards.  Some took more time than others, and one actually was used to finish up an unfinished project from about a year ago.  It's been truly fun...reacting to each window, how I see fit based on my time I have, and first spark that lands in my creative process. 

Anyhow...I REALLY enjoyed making my Advent Day 1 card.  It was off to a good start for me, and I look forward to the following 23 days of reveal!  :)

 

 

 

I used the following stamp set from Unity Stamps 

Winnie the Pooh: Forever with You 

 

Winnie the Pooh: Oh, Dear 

 

Stay tuned for tomorrow!   

 

 

 

Sneaking in some peeks... #3, #4 & #5

 As I suspected it would...things are getting chaotic in the factory, so I'm doubly glad I got a jump start on these!  I will soon have a craft obligation I will be attending to, so, you will see a mix of simple and more complicated with my final pictures.  But for now...here's a little sneak of days 3, 4 and 5.  I'm having fun with this...but I KNOW...I'll be slacking in about a week from now, just got another volume gift basket order, and will be down a couple of my employees for personal reasons, plus I got called for jury duty.  :)

#3 Sneak Peek

 

#4 Sneak Peek

 

 

#5 Sneak Peek

hahahahaha  I know, not much of sneak peeks...but, I didn't want to give too much intel, lol...  I will say, I had an unexplained situation happen to my #5 card....I was proud of the fact I finished it, then when I looked at it, the sticker holographic film I applied to this green circle that I use and love so much WARPED on me...so, it ruined the whole thing...  Not to fret, I'll just make another, and apply it over my ruined one, I wanted dimension...well...the other elements, used some paper that I didn't have enough of, so I had to improvise...and it now is hurting my eyes...SO...I will see if I can yet fix it...if not, be prepared to wear some protective eyewear when you see my #5 card!  lol!  

 I'll post my Craft Roulette card maybe tomorrow.  I want to provide some links, I've had a couple inquire about the supplies I used for it...  :)  Although I try to post a blog before I share on my social media pages..I'm not really set up to blog post as easy from my home as I can in the factory, where I have my desk top.  OK...I'll fess up...I'm not as password and computer savvy with my laptop, I work best in my work environment, and I can fit it in here and there when I'm in the chocolate...which is most my day, everyday...  yikes...  

 

Ya'll have a nice Thanksgiving!  I'm going to pop in to line up production for my next week, and get caught up with all the "to dos"...but, truly plan to enjoy a good meal with family!