Day 7 Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas!!!!

 

Day 7 Ho Ho Ho! 

 

Once I figured out how to stamp a straight line of the HoHoHos, it got really easy to finish this card. I already see an improvement I could have made...If to make again...I'd probably emboss "Santa" with polka dots, or swirleys or something, to add texture and fun. But, left alone, I was happy with the results too..... it was QUICK...it was EASY ... and I learned how important my Tim Holtz Stamp Platform became, while lining up the Ho Ho Hos....I enjoyed that so much, I decided to make 5 of these. It's a crisp, clean card, not my typical style, but, just as fun to make as any other. After 24 days of training my brain to be quick and simple...I may have a new style! lol!

 

Not sure I'll be back again for a few days...just in case you don't see me for a few....I'm currently working on Day 8, but, I will and must get to sleep early tonight....big chocolate week again...

 

Toodles!

 

Trudi

 

Day 5 and 6! Stocking Caps & Wreaths!

DAY 5

Well, I didn't make it past Day 4....although, I did open my little advent day, I needed sleep during the hours I wasn't working in the candy factory.  It was a super stressful chocolate week, and I knew I wouldn't be able to keep up as early as last SUNDAY!  I even had Day 5 finished, but couldn't find the time to upload it here....

So...Day 5....is this cute little stocking cap.  I decided to do something FAST...and use a background, I created over 13 years ago....it's the blur ink technique (I honestly don't think it's called that, but, it makes sense to me....)...it's one of the very first techniques I have ever ever EVER learned, like way back in the late 1990s maybe even....it's where you take your stamp, ink it...stamp off on a scratch piece of paper, then...stamp it on your cardstock, but, blur it...do that over and over, and even with different colors...it will look like a blurry soft version of your stamp....then, after all is said and done...stamp darker without the blur, your image....it's a very fun technique....

I've done wheat fields like this, garden images, and I must have loved doing these snowflakes...so much that about 13 years ago, I did extra backgrounds for me to use 13 years later, when I was trying to quickly make something for my Day number 5 of the advent calendar.  

I could have just stopped...but now, I needed to add felt snowflakes that have been sitting in my inventory for about 15 years...and of course BLING.  I have not finished the insides, but, just might do that soon...

This/these card(s) could have taken as little as 20 minutes to make...but, I had to agonize over it....I'm getting better at attempting a quick thing....

 

 

DAY 6

 

And here is where quick and easy came into play.....Holiday Wreath TAGS

 

So, do you ever worry about all the time you put into something, that most likely will get tossed?  Yes...I think about that....well, I finally made something, that if it got tossed...I wouldn't be wishing I hadn't put excess hours of creating into it...  The tags were a no brainer, and quick, and simple and will be perfect to either tie around a bottle of wine/cider/other...or even attach to a package.  IF a recipient wanted to keep it...it would make a bookmark...but...if it ended up in the garbage...that's ok too....

 

And you know what...I had just as much fun making these simple tags...as I would have making something complex.  I'm getting there on the quick and easy train...  I obviously couldn't decide bling or no bling on the ornaments and the ribbon image on the wreath.  I'm not in love with the glitter....I finally think Wink of Stella on the ornaments and glossy accents on the ribbon...but to be honest, I could have nixed both, and it still would have been ok!  I left the gold chord loose ends to tie easily onto and item or into the bow of whatever I decide to use them with....

 

 

I landed another big order this week...so, may not be keeping up again...but, I'm truly blessed to have these corporate orders sent our way in candy land....by next weekend...we will be winding down for the year.  

 

Toodles~

 

Trudi

 

Day 4 Tree Lights on the Way for Christmas Day!!!!

 Today is Day 4.... I knew I needed to get this done fast...so, I did what I often need to do when I'm pressed for time, and my creative mind isn't as working as fast as I'd like it to. I live that, on a day to day basis...where I need to come up with a chocolate creation instantly for a custom gift...it's hard to do sometimes, and I suspect I've lost potential business because I cannot always immediately design a custom chocolate gift. (I'm working on a major one right now for January....and it's hard, especially if it's in the many thousands of units....) When that happens, I need to wait until there is NOBODY in the factory, and the staff have made me components, and then I jump into designing. The more I want to go home and just chill...the quicker I come up with something...

The same scenario can occur with creating cards or scrap book pages...the only difference is...I have no timeline. I can take a week, a month, or even 2 months to create something. That's why MY motivation for hanging out in my craft room is probably very different than most. I do this to keep my mind sharp, and to literally unwind...so, if I stare at a Christmas tree for a scrapbook page for FOUR hours to get a vision of where it should be on a page....(we could drive to Seattle in that time, and YES...I did that once....) it's ok...I am not missing a deadline...

That being said, I've challenged myself to upload a card or creation a day with the Unity Stamps Advent calendar....and I'm doing it during an insanely busy time for me!!! I am absolutely loving it...but...I had to resort to "not reinventing the wheel" this time, and I copied an earlier design of mine for 100% inspiration. It only took an hour last night for this... Sorry, no inside yet (although I finished the inside for yesterday's card...hahaha...so, I got a late start on this one last night!!!)

Day 4 stamp is... the cute little tree lights! I can't wait for the insides...I know what I want to do...easy peasy...just wanted to be in bed a little earlier last night!!!! By the way...I love the set I used here...

https://www.unitystampco.com/search.php...

For grins, I'm showing you my FOUR HOUR tree...yep, four hours. I remember the night I created this part of the 2 page layout....this was a pivotal point in my scrapbooking style... first, I was going through some very serious grieving....and it's possible, four of those hours were filled with nightly tears, mourning the horrific loss of my niece....the time spent in my craft room, really helped me get through a very hard time.... secondly, these particular pages...was when I decided it was a MUST for me to hand journal moving forward in all my scrapbook pages...(recipe scrapbook pages excluded)...I want generations to come, to see my handwriting, as I cherish seeing generations before me in their unique penmanship..... (important to me!!!!) .... and third...it was these pages, that I started including a little signature mark on my scrapbook pages ... (once again, cookbooks excluded) ... I have since then, hidden (or obvious) a little bird on every page I've designed. Anyhow, I hope to get back to scrapbooking...it really is my passion!!!!

Hope you all have a fun weekend!

Til tomorrow, when I HOPE to have a Day 5!

Trudi

Day 3 Holly Berry

 Today is Day 3....I wish I had had Day 3 stamp to work on Day 2...super crisp/clean and easy to color with alcohol markers....I'll bet they would be super easy to fussy cut too...which is what I intended to do...my course took a different direction.

So limited on time today, so no explanations here...but, you might see some more info on my facebook page...

The Trudio Studio

The Trudio Studio | Facebook

In the meantime, I did not have time for the insides...I WILL finish this card, insides, and I'll probably make a few extra.  I loved making this one, once again, a more simple style, which is out of my comfort zone...but, I need to teach me, train my brain to make more simple cards...and actually mail them!!!

I do appreciate simple...it's a one stamper, regular size hand made card envelope size....maybe after  day 24, I'll have taught myself a new style!!!!

Til tomorrow!  I hope...

Trudi

Advent Day 2 Noel!

 So day 2 is a NOEL stamp, that I wish I had thought to take a picture of the actual stamp...but I didn't, so I'll need to describe....it's a stamp where the name NOEL is in a box shape, stacked, where the NO is on top of the EL...moving forward, I'll try to grab the stamp to take a picture of it...if I don't get to it, it's because I'm really doing this all on the fly, as I'm working 12-14 hours days, without breaks, (even lunch!) to get my mega orders out the door to meet deadlines.... (2000 S'mores kits for one!!!)

NOEL card could have had a TON more on it...as I got farther and farther into this design, I started to REALLY enjoy it...my first couple attempts, the colors were WAY off....but, since I insisted on using the charcoal gray, I wasn't going to deviate from that...and I told myself, if there is a will, there is a way...just need to moving forward find a QUICK way...as my sleep is precious to me, and I really REALLY want to see this challenge of 24 cards work out for me!  I have to admit, I am working 2 days ahead, so I already know what is in store for tomorrow (tonight's creation) and I had to open Day 4 as well, to start the idea in my head....after tonight is done, I will open day 5, to once again, get the idea going...

I can't wait to get to Day 4, it will be fun!  :)

Anyhow....here is NOEL...

I did have to use random stamps in my craft room for part of this....clearly, the quality difference for the stamper is quite apparent using Unity vs some of my random stamps from the past.  (I still use and love those random stamps, but there really is something so EASY about Unity!)

I better get to work in candy land....here is Day 2

AND A SMORE....

YIKES....2000 of these by Tuesday, and we have yet to start!  

Toodles!

Trudi

Advent Calendar Day 1 Sweet Treats!

 Hello!

I am going to be very brief with this post...as I'm up to my eyeballs in chocolate right now in candy land....our business is coming to life after this very strange year....and we landed some big last minute holiday orders, and good news...some big opportunities in the New Year...

My post...

I decided to purchase an advent calendar surprise stamps...how fun is that!  Unity Stamp Company offered this for sale this year, I'm sure they probably sold out....my idea was to create something simple daily, not sure I can juggle that and my business in the factory, but, I'm going to try...

So, my challenge was to go SIMPLE...and quick...and just enough to keep one, mail one...

First day...is a GINGERBREAD MAN!!!!  How fun is that?!

Stand by for day 2!  Hopefully, I'll get out of the factory in time, to have a little craft time tonight!!!!  That being said, I know my sleep is important!!!!  

Toodles and Sweet Dreams!

Trudi