Under the Sea Friends

 A couple of weeks ago, I made a card for Craft Roulette, that I never added to my blog here.  My reasons were valid...  I had a personal emergency for one, and simply didn't have time.  I also was in the process of working with the new release for Kindred Stamps, and wanted to dedicate my social media time to that...(it is a VERY COOL ).  I had used a stamp set that I had purchased a few years back, which was part of a limited edition kit I wasn't sure it was available and wanted to research that before I shared it....  Well... yesterday, I see this set is now available as a restock item.  There are so many reasons why I wanted to share this today!!!  First... this may be one of the top 5 most fun cards I've ever made.  Second....I have had a TON of chatter about this card, so I know...this theme is near and dear to many.  Next...It was quick and easy to make...  And...there are many characters on this set too, which means there are tons of options for fun cards!!!  Underwater Buddies is one you will want to snatch up!  I adore these limited edition kits, and so when the set (without the additional kit items) pops up later down the line, I'm glad for those who missed opportunity from the getgo!!!  Speaking of limited edition kits....  Kindred has one available right now you may want to check out: Nuclear Family I can't wait for mine to arrive!  :)

In the meantime, since I mentioned the March New Release.....  if you haven't already taken a peek...

I offer up the deets on the set I was working with: Best Buds and Dope Friends 

I see the set by itself may be sold out, but it appears that you can get it in the bundle, which I for one, plan on purchasing a few out of the bundle too...that alpha die needs to find it's way to my craft studio!  :)

March New Release Bundle 

 

Tonight is a craft roulette night...wonder what the wheel will bring!  I'm sort of working on a big bunch of things that are due on April 15, lol....but...hope to fit a little creative time in this week!!!  So...standby, I'll be sure to share!  My process is getting quicker and quicker and easier and easier...and I'm oh so enjoying the journey as I train my brain to be more efficient in my studio, organizational wise and creative thinking wise too!!  

 

Wish Upon A Star!

 What fun this one was!!!  After skipping a week of Craft Roulette...Mr. Wheel spun me the perfect parameters for my 73rd Craft Roulette entry.  I never thought I'd get this far...73 cards in less than 2 years is more than I've made in 25ish years.  (different cards).  My goal by the end of the year is to organize and start mailing these lil gems out to people!  This one, is specifically designed for a future hard to buy for person...maybe an adult child of mine, who lives in a different state?  (You know who you are....)

 

 

Once again, I used a Kindred Stamps  set for my weekly entry.  Kindred is one of my "go to" companies when it comes to perusing through my potential designs each Friday night.  I'm not done with this set...I adored coloring the characters, and plan to make more with different designs.  I wanted our marionette to appear wooden color...that's why he's a little dark compared to our angel and toy maker...all and all, a second stab at this, I may have changed it up a bit...but...I'm trying to train myself to go with my instincts and not dawdle...when I dawdle...I have undone project here, there and everywhere.  In 73 entries...I have come a long long way with my speeding up things...and I don't have unfinished projects much anymore either.  Having the week timeline, if I start something, I sure as heck plan to finish it to submit it!!!

 

My supplies!

 

Make a Wish   Stamp set from Kindred Stamps 

Card Basics Die Set  (I use this die set practically EVERY time I create...well worth having)

Stitched Alpha Die Set  (another well loved/used die set....so convenient)

 Holographic Sticker Paper Clear  I LOVE THIS!!!  So economical, I even applied to my fairy for those little sparkly stars all over it!!!!! 

Stardream Cardstock  Another very cool paper..used for the base of the card, the scalloped mat, the stars..

 

Very fun card to make...I even did my research a bit on it too...the inner child in me, enjoyed the process!!!

 

By the way....speaking of Kindred Stamps....  This months New Release is super cool!  I plan to order in the new font set... these fonts sets are a game changer for convenience when it comes to card making and scrap pages too!

 

Kindred Stamps March 2025 New Release 

 

 

Best Buds and Dope Friends

 Just roll with me here.... it's the sign of the times.  And in the spirit of the National Holiday celebrated on April 20 (look it up, there is a holiday attached to this...)   Kindred Stamps launched with it's March New Release the PERFECT stamp set to create with ... I can think of several people I could send a card to with this set... So, in preparation of 4:20 pm on April 20th...  I have ideas to share, if that's your thing...or you know someone, whose thing it is.  I enjoyed working with this set, as always with any of the Kindred stamps.  I really wanted to do it justice, and had to let my imagination go...which this set lends itself to.  The more I played with it...the more ideas!  

First, I made my own background here...with a sun ray type stencil, and my very own "dots" stencil.  I merely took a piece of scrap cardstock, and randomly punched holes out, no particular pattern...just here there and everywhere...then gently stenciled over my starburst image ... lastly, I stamped my "blunt" image using the new release set:   Dope Friends and a random leaf image from my stash.  I made my own peace sign, using 2 circle dies...merely use a smaller circle positioned inside the large one, it will punch out a circle outline...  I used the  Card Basics Die set for my larger circle.  I promise you...that die set is now used for almost 100% if not 100% of my card making projects.  So versatile.  :)  I have random strips die for the "lines"... and to add interest...I used Spectrum Noir Glitter Brush Pen (I used gold) to gently brush over my "green" elements...it gives it that lil sparkle...I love these pens!

My next card, I used a designer paper in my stash for the background and titled it with "BEST BUDS" using the  Stiched Alpha Die  set, another "go to" set for fonts....  I LOVE having this, and I suspect I will want to add the new alpha die set from Kindred to my stash as well!  :)  

Lastly....my quickies!  A couple of releases ago, I made a quickie, and enjoyed the process, that I gave it a whirl this time too...  I made TWO quickies... I can see me doing more and more in the future, and actually plan to start mailing little cards out more frequently.  I think we need a little "happy" mail..every now and then...and I truly think  Dope Friends very well can get that grin going!

      

Well, there you have it!  Tomorrow, March 28, Kindred will be releasing this dope set, along with other really cool, man, releases...  you will want to join in...  it starts at 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time!!!  

 

Every Little Thing Is Gonna Be Alright ...

 Hey, mon!  Welcome to the island!  Where, every little thing is gonna be alright....  I've been waiting to use this stamp set...and didn't  look any further for an alternative for this week's Craft Roulette.  I already plan to mail this to someone(s)...  I even am finishing the inside of the card, and on the hunt for an envelope(s) to decorate and such.  I am sensing the need to get this in the hands of a few of my friends.

 

This week's Craft Roulette (#256 featured the following parameters:

Supplies used:  

• Stamp set for character:  Oddball Bob  from  Stamping Bella 
• Background stamp:  Beach Backdrop from Stamping Bella 
• Accessories:  Little Buddy  and Three Hour Tour and Cute Kids Pirates from Scrappy Boy 
  

For those of you who don't know...  an A7 card is roughly 5"x7" in size (some sites say 5-1/8").  For me, I'm fine with doing a large card, I know some struggle with the size, but my former crafting style would be gleeful with the amount of canvas space to fill up on a large card.  My first paper crafting passion will remain to be creating a 2 page 12"x12" scrapbook spread...and I'm inclined to fill up every spot on the pages, that's just me.  I started this insane accumulation of supplies about 26ish years ago, and since then, I have many unfinished or work in progress 12" scrapbooks...cards kind of got in the way... so did recipe cookbook scrap pages (I adore doing those, especially 8"x8" size...) MemDex recipe boxes, and so much more....  I will say, my projects are once again, left undone, since I stumbled upon and started participating in Craft Roulette... 70 projects ago!!!!!  I never dreamed I'd use all those supplies, and now I'm even getting the energy to organize things!  I LOVE my Friday nights...  I still have to perfect myself...I create these cards (leaving the insides blank to finish later when I mail them)...and never get around to mailing them.  I start out making multiple quantities (like 3-4 of each) and only finish the one that I submit during the membership window of Craft Roulette.  (for a small membership fee, I have until Thursday night).  

One might say, a goal of mine is to actually mail the cards out.  I'm at the point now, since I'm recording through my blog, facebook, now instagram (that's new!  @the_trudio_studio ),  I really don't need my original, if I ever want to duplicate!  I just know, I'm having fun doing what I'm doing, it's a no stress, no pressure fun way to play with my inks and stamps...  and in the meantime, I'm using stamps that have never been inked up!  This one, I REALLY enjoyed doing.  I even enjoyed more, researching Bob Marley.  What an inspiration he was with insight ... who I wonder what he'd be saying in this day and age.

I perused the internet and found several quotes that Bob Marley was known for saying.  I hesitated with posting a few, as I truly believe we are a wounded nation right now, and I'm fearful they may look political, even though I really wanted to put them on here...just I'm not going there on my social media.  I just can't.   But one quote that he said, reminds me of my answer when asked how I managed hard stuff.  I was going through a very very hard life tragedy/loss going on 18 years ago now, followed by life threatening health scares involving two of the closest people to me in my life within 6 months of each other...all of this within a matter of 3 years...I'd fall, pick myself up only to fall again, it was hard. A wise acquaintance of mine asked me how I managed.... 

...and I thought about it.... 

.....crafting has been a sense of therapy for me, so when you find something that is fun, I say run to it...until it's not fun anymore...hours and hours have been spent in my craft room, lost in other thoughts...true mental therapy, I'm sticking with it, warts and all for now!  I guess I've now had 70 weeks of fun and my new addition to my "therapy" (Craft Roulette) is habit, as Craft Roulette plays a role in my mental health I'm finding!  :)          Per Bob Marley:

"You never know how strong you are, until being strong is your only choice."

Picnic Pals!!!

 Welcome friends to the fun February 2025 release Picnic Pals  for Kindred Stamps!  While creating this first card, my inner child came out to play, as I weaved together a picnic basket using craft colored card stock.  I kind of remember in grade school, doing something similar with gum wrappers, or decorations around Thanksgiving and Christmas time.  Once I cut my thin little strips, it went pretty fast, so my memory of it definitely was pulled from something in my past!  It even ended up reminding me of a basket that we had growing up in our house.  We may have used it for a sewing basket of some sort.  I can think of so many reasons to send a card like this!  I also used the Tree Scene Craft Die for this card, I think this could be one of my most used dies I own.  It's great for so many wilderness type scenes!

 

My second card is perfect for that Beary Special person in your life!  Whether it be for a Birthday, Valentines Day, or Just Because Day...it was a warm fuzzies kind of card to create, sure to give someone a big bear paper hug!

My 3rd card / project is a little log book ... I designed this with the idea, how perfect it would be to jot down important little notes that we (me) at some point in our lives need to document, health wise.  I have personally struggled with high blood pressure since I was 18  years old...way before I had packed on the baby weight, even when I was jogging 3 miles a day...I am just one big ball of stress I guess.  I never really have been dedicated to jotting down my daily BP, but when I started this card... I thought, this would be something simple to put a little notebook in, and maybe something that would/could motivate me to do so.  The "Don't Feed the Bear"... well...that's because of all that baby weight still there (even though my babies are in their twenties now...yikes) ... I sort of liked the donut sentiment as a reminder to make better eating choices.  I could use this little log book as a weight tracker too!  Once I decide, I'll use my Stitched Alpha Die Set, the one I used for "LOG", and my tag verse, either BP for blood pressure or LBS for weight.  We will see, I started my road map to better health today.  :)

Every new release, I think I've found my favorite...well, this one very well may be my favorite!  :)  I'm excited each month playing with a new Kindred Stamps set, it keeps me coming back for more and more and more!  Make sure you mark your calendar for this Friday, as the February New Release is launched at 8 AM, Pacific Time...this and MORE treasures will be in the mix...you will NOT want to miss out!

 

Boop Boop Be Do!

 Two cards to share today...one a Boop Boop Be Do... using Smooches a fun fandom stamp set from Kindred Stamps .  I chose this fun sets for episode Episode #255 of Craft Roulette.

 

The parameters for this week lead me to this design, I've been wanting to use this set for awhile, and the timing was perfect!  It would have made a great Valentine's Day card, it can be saved for next year.  :)

 

 

My other card, another Craft Roulette card:  Episode #254 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I used a stamp from the Unity Stamp Company, one of the cuteness overload pooches from the new "rescue line".  Unity has launched this line in honor of rescue animals, and with each sale a % is donated to a rescue shelter.  The company has donated to several shelters already, it's such a great cause.  I bought this stamp because it reminded me of our Cubby, our teacup Pomeranian, that we adored many many many years ago!   She was all of 4 pounds, and had such a sassy personality...she literally was our baby who we adored to the moon and back.  She's been on the other side of the rainbow bridge for about 20 years now, but I still remember her little pitter patter feet on our dining room floor...tap tap tappity tap...which are now in our hearts, next to other cherished and loved family pets!

When You Wish Upon a Star!

 My recent Craft Roulette entry couldn't have fallen into place any better than it did...  It was almost as if Mr. Wheel was in my craft studio room peeking into my supplies.  I literally had probably 50 options for ideas, it could have gone in so many other directions...but...I took the first parameter:  Card for a Teenager and knew that for my element:  Fairy(ies) there was only ONE Fairy that was perfect...  TINKERBELL!

  

I couldn't decide if I needed a "ground" or not...then I went a little wild on the bling bling...

I used 2 of my most favorite companies to for the stamps:

I stamped my castle from the Midnight Couple  stamp set from  Kindred Stamps .  It's not the first time I've ever used this castle...and most likely won't be the last.  It's magical and so fun to color, even fussy cutting to the line felt effortless, I could have and probably will do a few more of these!  

Tinkerbell came from my other Craft Roulette "go to" company... Scrappy Boy.  I have been waiting to ink up my Neverland stamps for awhile now, such fun sets...I have both!

The parameters were EASY EASY EASY...  I'm one to take things VERY LITERALLY.... The challenge is part of the fun, I know some of the color categories can cover every color under the sun...and one could probably find a way to use any color scheme for "morning colors"... I chose to go with the sky at sunrise, ink blended on my White Diamond Print Inkjet Glitter Paper from Cardstock Warehouse . I then applied a film of Holographic Sticker Paper over that for extra sparkly!  So magical!  I did stamp my "Believing" sentiment before applying the film on my first card, I would suggest using a Misti or other stamp positioner to stamp the sentiment.  I did not, and wished I had.  

Back to morning colors... my card was already in the making and halfway finished... I had already chosen my colors, my design... I was coloring my castle, enjoying my MORNING coffee, almost half a cup gone already ..  it DAWNED (morning dawn) on me ... my cup!!!!  It was all insticts!!!

This weeks parameters, episode 252, I'm now 66 cards in!

For Friday night FUNN I encourage you to join!!!!  It's a great way to use supplies, and get creative!

Craft Roulette

 Another use of the castle!  Episode 216, Craft Roulette!

 

 Til next time!