Yakkity Yak...Don't Look Back!

 I couldn't resist... just had to.  It has been a minute since I was able to play in the weekly Craft Roulette  challenge that I love to participate in each Friday night / week.  I thoroughly enjoyed creating my 99th submitted contribution!

 My sky...I have to tell you about that....  I am attempting to learn ink blending....I realize several things...

1.  I probably don't have the best brushes...I am using very inexpensive brushes purchased through Amazon.  I would supply a link, but, if it's the brushes that is my problem, which I think is one of the main issues of mine...I don't want to suggest them.  They are substantially less in price than the really nice ones I see offered through craft companies, such as Scrapbook.com or other.

2.  I may not be using the right card stock ...  smooth vs one with "give".  I did find a smooth (Hammermill) that I like, purchased through Amazon...Hammermill Premium Color Copy  smooth white card stock, 100 lb, and I'm used it here on the citrus green grass....  and the sky too.  You see the sky is SPLOTCHY...BUT...I liked that for the illusion of actual, real life clouds.  The sky was in my trash pile, and it caught my eye ... that I actually preferred it over a solid blend.  But...it was a reject from weeks ago, and like I said...the struggle is real for me.

3.  I think I'm a little heavy handed....I know I am.  I don't want to waste my ink, so I am utilizing my glass mat or silicon mat to release a little of the ink before I gently try to blend it on my card stock.  I'm getting better, but, still not quite there.  I do believe my brushes have an awful lot to do with it... I never clean them, and I have like 1 for each color...A TON...  

Anyhow, the parameters were really fun!  

I have been patiently waiting for ACK to show up!  I didn't have my Yak planned, just knew there were tons of options with ACK!  (back/black/attack/stack/pack/sack/hack/jack/lack/QUACK/rack/tack/etc...  I really thought I'd do something with a duck, but now looking at my list of words, an elk (horns), Santa black Santa sack resting on his back...  you see where I'm going here!  This little Yak, though was so so cute, and I very enjoyed doing something refreshing!  As far as gummies....as much as I want to run run run far away from gummy kabobs...our customers sure love buying them, so I am very well versed in the colors of gummy bears!!!!  We have been working with a ton of green ones!!!

We have to be loco to do these in quantity....but that's what we do!  YIKES

 

 

 

I used a die that appears (Deckle) to be "tearing", although if our little Yak is sad...he could be tearing.  I hope he's not sad...if he was, he isn't now...  OK, enough silly nonsense.  I just wanted to quickly share my 99th Craft Roulette contribution, and hope to play along tonight, when I hit that magic 100!  It's been a TON OF FUN...100 weeks of it, (maybe a couple in there, that I never finished, but only a couple)...although I can't play every week, I try, and have come close.  I've met some very fun friends, and I feel I've grown as a card maker HUGE...even though I've been at this for going on 30 years now!  You never know!  If you are looking for something new and different...I encourage you to play along!

 

Craft Roulette 

 

Romance Scenes

 “True love stories never have endings.” —Richard Bach

How true the Richard Bach quote is and the  December 2025 Kindred Stamps New Release will remind you how timeless love is.  I have memories attached to the scenes of each character from this set, and I suspect many more besides me will too.  This month, I celebrate my anniversary, and to this day, I still remember going to the movie theater to watch a very long love story, a misfit couple on a historic cruise ship.   I remember eating the popcorn, and where we were sitting in the theater.  I even remember at the time, some very heavy heart concerns we were dealing with,  as we were just starting our journey to parenthood.  I almost didn't want that movie to end.  (We had a very happy ending...not so much the characters in the movie...but we did... now 24 and almost 26)

So, just in time for Valentines Day... 

Kindred Stamps Releases the perfect set:  Romance Scenes 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was creative using random dies in my stash of hundreds if not thousands of dies... I used a fence for my boat rail, a living room lamp post for my street light, cut rectangles out of the inside of a scallop frame, etc...to name a few...  one thing remains constant though...  I use my Card Basics Die Set over and over and over again!  

 

Tomorrow Romance Scenes will be available at 8:00 a.m.  Pacific Time, along with other fabulous new release sets.  You will definitely want to get a few of these in your cart!!!  I'm hoping to have a little unwind time for the holidays, now that my crunch time is officially over (2 more BIG hurdles for 2025 for me)...I hope I can get a little nostalgic TV time ... catch an iconic romance movie or 2!  

 

Happy Holidays & Seasons Greetings to all!  

 

Trudi 

 

12 Day of Advent

 When I discovered this sweet stamp, I immediately thought love and world, and "Love Makes the World Go Round".  I'm not even sure if I really listened to the song with those lyrics, as when I played it, it certainly didn't sound familiar to me.  Not sure why that popped into my head.  When I have more time, I'm going to look into it.  I'm sure there is a version I'm not aware of at this moment of time...

 

When you open this card, the little world "spins".  I had not planned on this at the start of this card, but I had seen a little spinny card with a different image that sparked the idea of a spinning world...now, I can think of all kinds of spinny things...might take another try of this type of card in the future.  Well...I'm being brief here...things are getting close to the wire for me in the factory...I will be pulling a rabbit out of a hat for the next few days, so it seems....  ho ho ho ... I can see where it would be easy to be a grinch.  It's hard on suppliers and retailers too...we do our best, but it does beat a person up.  It truly is a count down...I hope to keep up with the advent calendar, but, am truly glad I got as far as I did!  There are some super fun ones ahead!!!  When things settle down, I want to get a little video  here with the world spins!

 

 

 

Day 11 Advent Calendar

 I can smell an apple crisp in my mind...or spiced apple cider, maybe the smell of cinnamon apple potpourri that I so fondly remember smelling whenever I popped in to visit the gift shops we used to sell to locally.  Once upon a time, we had our specialty foods in up to 37 locations (locally) 1000+ nationwide....quite a few for the our small community, the oasis in the desert that we are from.  (When you think of Washington State, you really don't think of dry sagebrush...)  Anyhow, that was the olden days, we have evolved in a different direction with our distribution, but...I sure love the memories of visiting several sweet gift shops...most are no longer, 40 years has come and gone...that's a long time.  So, I truly got a Countryside Cottage vibe with this card...one of the very first retailers ever that we sold to...truly one of the best I have ever dealt with ... cheers to Trish if she ever sees this post!  This cards for you!

 

 

Advent Day 10

 Not sure what I was entirely striving for.  I did expect/want this to be QUICK...but, it didn't turn out that.  I did learn, to not force an embossing folder into a Big Shot...it may come out permanently warped.  I guess for never using this folder after having it for a couple of years, I'll accept the lesson.

Haste = Waste

haha

Truly, not sure where I was going, but the more I was going... it was having fun.  I am inspired to find a metallic pen, like the one I used for the poinsettia insides here.  I was gifted a very fine tipped pen, with liquid ink inside...(it did leak a time or 2 when using it...again...haste equals waste).  It really looks like shiny 14 karat gold after you apply it, not like gel pens or sharpie type metallic...or wink of stella type...it is liquid type paint in a pen.  I love it and I want another...will be on the hunt.  Anyhow, my take on Day 10...resulted in a muted, soft blurred type canvas, showcasing Advent Day 10, Thank You Heart image...  I left it blank inside for a future sentiment, or personal note.

I used Cloud 9 Interference Ink to lightly brush a gold shine on the embossed petals and "berries". 

 Cloud 9 Interference Inks

I believe I used Peanut Glow.  I'm not entirely sure if that was the gold I used...I'm at my desk in the factory, and for some odd reason, I do not have record of the order I placed with Scrapbook.com .  I must have ordered as a guest and not logged in.  I'm not always near my account info when I order.  Or, maybe I ordered from a different company.  If anyone want to know, leave a message here, and I'll follow up.  All I know, is I only have 3 Cloud 9 ink pads, and I recently ordered them, I thought from Scrapbook.com, and I plan to order more.  I do need to figure a good way to blend, with the proper brushes and card stock...if I find the magic combo, I will share...if anyone knows the magic combo, let me know...I've definitely self taught, and not really watched any instructional videos...I probably should.  Anyhow, the inside of my card:

Til tomorrow!  :)  It's the last card I have entirely finished...so, the real test will be, if I can keep up with the last half of this advent calendar.  I do have ideas in my head, which is the hardest part, but...last night, I crashed and burned...and I have other important craft obligations I need to wrap up...PLUS...a factory full of gift baskets / gifts to finish up too...  You might see some VERY FAST things here, but...that's ok, I think my favorite so far, was Day 4, the little snowman, so...we will see!  

 

Day 9 Advent Calendar

 A very EASY card that would be nice to send to a sister or close friend.  When I made this card, I was starting to sense that things were going to get hard for me, time wise if I was going to pull of 24 advent days...lol...I will admit, I have worked ahead...My Day 1, was actually around November 19th or somewhere around that...and I have been fitting cards in here and there, opening only ONE window a day.....about now, day 9...is when I saw the writing on the wall, that I really needed to zip out some easy cards...or I'd be throwing in the towel.  I kind of like the easy street cards...  I'm more apt to mail them, one postage stamp...and more time for other crafting fun...  Today's advent stamp, Enjoy the Little Things, is paired up with the Unity stamp:  There For Her .  I certainly will enjoy the little things...so perfect when I'm simplifying right now!  I have little stamps all over my desk, as I've fallen behind already, but I do have at least 3 days ahead of cards made, just be prepared for some other really easy ones in the next few days.  (I need to play catch up!)

 

So, a funny...  I impulsively bought some card stock through Amazon, hoping for smooth vanilla or off white to use with my alcohol markers.  I found some, same supplier (Neenah)...but had no record of what weight, etc....so, I impulsively bought a ream of what I'm using on this card.  This.is.not.it.  Not even close...BUT....I am proving to myself, that I have a use for it, so it has shown up on many projects since.  Funny how that works.

Til tomorrow!  I'm working on my Kindred New Release cards this week...so, I'm very thankful I have worked ahead.  I've been crazy busy in the factory this week, and will be for another week...so, it's free time here and there for me...it's a great release, I'm excited to to have the ideas in my head turn into cards....I created them all last night (in my head) so it should be fairly easy from here on out!  :) 

Day 8 Advent Calendar

 PISSY KITTY was my "go to" to pair up with today's cute little flower found in Day 8 of the Advent Calendar from Unity....  It was a quick and easy card...I really had fun with this grumpy cat!

 This little feline is from the the line of Pissy Kitty stamps found through Unity Stamps.

It's the Reluctant Love Pissy Kitty set.  There are some really adorable PKs, this was the first time I actually inked up this set, it was easy and fun, and the reaction of those who have seen the card in the real, has resulted in smiles and giggles....which is something we all need a time or 2!

 

Til tomorrow!