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."