Cherry-O

 Thought I'd share something I made a long time ago, that at the time, I had hoped to make many extras...well, I started those "extras" and never finished.  I keep saying, finishing before cherry season would be a goal.  I know the hard part is already done, and with a gift a fresh cherries, I can include this card.

This has been going on this last week and finished Friday....forklifts coming and going, and sweet little fruity treats getting picked into bins, sent off to market, possibly headed overseas, or maybe distributed in Costcos and Walmarts throughout the nation.  Once they leave our farm...it's 100% in the hands of our packing house and their sales force.  It's a crazy industry, with a ton of risk, stress and trust, the consumer is completely unaware of all the steps a cherry farmer goes through to get these sweet gems to market!  We literally have a PIT in our stomach, we will not know the results of our hard work for a couple of months.  This is one industry, that in my opinion, eally should be revamped to keep the farmer in the loop more.  It is a way of life, however, and we have lived it for 60 years or better....

Each bin weighs approximately 325 pounds, and we will have shipped out close to 500 bins.  That's a lot of cherries!  It doesn't look like I'll get to finish those cards cherry season 2026...so, I think I'll slowly work on them over the next year or so, and have them nice and ready for 2027!  My original was created for CR Episode #213, 110 episodes ago, my 35th Craft Roulette card.  It's crazy how fast time flies, and how life changes in the course of a couple years.  I say it often, I'll say it again...I never thought I'd make it past 5 entries, let alone the 119 that I'm at today..  pretty sure the 84 entries I've made in between, has seen some heavy duty CR, aka Craft Therapy for me!

 

Now, to FIND those extras.....I should never attempt extras of any of these, I rarely get back to them.  I adored making this card, however.  I love the Graphic 45 paper I used and the Scrappy Boy Chocolate, Wine & Best Friends stamp set.  (I also have the Everyone's Favorite Redhead set....so much fun)  My resolution to finish up insides of cards and the "extras" of things for 2026...hasn't really been started, let alone close to achieving....  I think if I give myself a year for this, I should be good.  lol

 

 

 Now, on to apricots....and then my favorite of them all PEACHES!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Together

 First let me start out with a couple of comments.  This card was a little hard for me to make with the image I chose...  I purchased this stamp in 2018 (yes, I checked my orders, lol)...with different intent of use (I love it however, when a stamp has many purposes, so not disappointed that I didn't use it for the intent I bought it for...that will come, some day...)  I added the Selfie Girls stamp to my collection of Angie Girl stamps from the Unity Stamp Company.  It was one of those late night surfing the stamp world on my iPad, when I discovered the wonderful world of Angie Girls...and all the other really cool stamps that Unity offers.  Selfie Girls was ordered on a few orders after my first, and I have been adding ever since.  There is something about coloring up one of the "girls" stamps, so identifying and a brilliant line, artist Angie Blom.  

I bought this stamp because it reminded me of my sisters and I.  There were moments of time, I will admit, that I couldn't fight the tears while coloring up these girls.  8 years of life has swept passed us, and oh how I would love to have a few moments of that time back....  Since 2018, one of us has earned her angel wings, (and now my Dad)  I was almost tempted to add a set of wings in this image...  Other life has happened too...when I do color up the image with my full intent, I want to be sure I do so taking care of my heart... it's still pretty tender, so many losses, so much grief.

 

Second comment here....  I kind of went a little overboard on the bling bling.  I felt bling bling deprived with last week's Craft Roulette Episode #322, I must have felt the need to make up for the lack of enhancements or something.  Adding to this comment, this card, was my practice card....I truly have a different "Pretty Colors" palette in mind....I'm more of a turquoise/blue/seafoam/lavender colors type personality (I had my colors draped in college...turquise/teal was my color profile)....  but I tend to make a practice card first...and at the time, it really didn't matter what pretty colors I selected.  That being said, it was way past midnight when I was CLOSE to completion, I decided pink was pretty enough.  Other changes I could have made, the Quartz Stardream Cardstock I used, may have photo'd better had I chose the Crystal color, or another color altogether, not in the whites....  I honestly thought this was my sample card, before I made the real deal.  That being said...I'm satisfied with the outcome, so I decided to clean my table and put supplies away...

 

The parameters and my justifications:

1.  A7 Card Size is:  5-1/8" x 7"  My 5-1/8" was crimped, so ended up 5", but, it started out as 5-1/8" :)

 

2.  Pretty Colors:  Totally subjective here.  Pink and lavender are pretty colors.....

 

3.  Photo Booth:  I made my own photo booth with a Scrappy Boy: Build a Stage Die Set.  Back to intent, I'm 100% positive, I did not buy this die set with the idea I'd use it for a photo booth.  I think I felt there would be on stage scrap booking opportunities or fandom (The Sound of Music) cards that might need a stage someday.  I'm totally glad I had this in my die collection, it seemed logical to use it.

 

4.  Geometric Shapes:  My gems are geometric shapes:  stars, squares and circles.  I also have a couple of itty bitty photo booth looking cards added next to the camera on this card.  I did cut a little snip of designer paper of mine that had a little geo shapes on them...they fit perfectly inside my itty bitty frames.   (I used another Scrappy Boy die for the frames, one of the confetti plates, pretty sure they are retired.  I love these plates for itty bitty shapes cut out fast in quantity)  

 

This was the color palette I was aiming for:

 

 

Photo Booth was a fun parameter.  At first I was, HUH?!  Then before I even gave it a teeny bit of thought, I knew I had the Selfie Girls stamp, and I didn't even look for other options.  I could have maybe completed this card in a couple hours...but, I took my sweet slow time, I was kind of in the need for the Craft Therapy that I do any of this for!  I am NOT an affiliate with any of the companies I linked in this post, just a really loyal customer!

 

Till next week!   

 

 

 

 

Dump the Slump!

 Not sure I'm in one or not (a slump), as I did dabble a little on my weekly Craft Roulette (episode #322) challenge, and truly had ideas, just felt a little lazy to see them through.  I'm just not getting a the warm fuzzies with my card, and I kept walking away from it while I attempted to finish it in a timely manner.  Each time I came back to it, I truly didn't think it was that bad, but, it definitely wasn't what I envisioned.  I think my hold up was, is I truly took each parameter too seriously, and it left me with limited options ... I then got fixated on trying to use a template that my card was too large for, but, I had already finished part of the card, and I wasn't in the time or place to go back and start over.... 

1.  The First Parameter:  POSTCARD

I decided to do a "front and back", so I started out with many extras (just in case of a mistake), I did keep making ink blobs, so down to 2...then managed to smudge one of my final two, both on the front and the back.  So, down to 1, at this time, I decided I had zero intention of making more.  Next time I make a wreath, it definitely will be using the right size of card stock and stamps that I can place in my platform along with my wreath builder template.  I  had to use a larger platform, because naturally, I went in the direction of stamping this wreath smack dab in the MIDDLE of my 4-1/4" x 6" postcard.  (The template I used needed a 4" x 4" square, so another obstacle) I took this parameter LITERALLY.  I created it with intent to actually mail it...not in an envelope, but an actual postcard.  That eliminated any dimension...no adhering anything to it, no enamel dots, no die cuts, nada nada nada....  THIS IS OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE, AND IT STILL IS....I think that's why the verdict on this card is telling me, I'm not jiving with it... But...I wanted to stretch my abilities, and learn a thing or 2, and kind of go out of my predictable style.  After 40 years of creative design, 30 in paper...I want the challenge of doing something a little out of my norm...  Well, I got that on this challenge, and I did learn a thing or 2!  

 

2.  The Second Parameter:  70's COLORS

Growing up, I recall we had a set of cannisters and tea cups similar to these mushroom ones.  I kind of had these on my mind, along with the 70s color palette for inspo.  I couldn't get those mushrooms out of my head...and kind of got stuck in a rut thinking I MUST include a mushroom, one way or another.  I've been challenging my memory/brain as to wonder where oh where did this set of cannisters/cups go?  I would LOVE to have a mug or 2 or even the entire set out of this...  CR #322 has stirred this want up now for me.  I'm sure this treasure set is somewhere in my childhood home...at least I hope it is still around, although I'm there daily and am not seeing it laying around!  I dabbled a bit with a mushroom idea on my postcard, and lost vision and sight with that too...  Maybe when I find the ceramics, I'll have mushroom brain back and can envision how I could have included it on this card (alcohol markers soaked through to the other side).  

   

3.  The Third Parameter:  WREATH

I used my Gina K Wreath Builder for my 3rd parameter....  I've just been waiting to use for the perfect time!  Over the last year, not necessarily needing it, I felt inspiration to FIND my Gina K Wreath Builder Template in my very messy/congested craft studio.  I always say, I put things in special places, hoping I can go right to it.  I wasn't even wanting to use it, I just wanted to find it.  Well, I couldn't...I just had to tell myself, I will run across it some day, and will put it in my now special place.  I was right...I found it a few months ago, and tucked it away in a safe place.  When this parameter popped up...I was happy to think I would use it.  Well...think again.  Once again, I couldn't find it.  My frustration level was off the charts...I've had personal reasons to be so dang frustrated lately, and I just wanted something to be easy, my studio is my safe place, not frustration place.  After a few not so nice words....I started madly pulling things out of my little storage thingy on my table.  After the first attempt (and sorting through stuff that had no business being stored there...)  I FOUND IT (caught up in why? oh why? stuff....  Next thing...NOW WHAT?  

I have never completed a card with the wreath builder, I wasn't even sure how to use it....and after the matter, I'm pretty sure I did use wood blocks with it in the first place way back when, but, sure can't figure out how I did.  My objective for this...was to figure it out and so instead of impulsively learning the Trudi way, I decided YouTube would be my friend.  I rarely pull up how to videos and it might be a good lesson for me, that I should do that more often.  I found a "how to" from Gina K herself, and was smitten about how effortlessly she explained the use, how easy.......EXCEPT...yep, there is an except here....  I did NOT play with the rules on this one.  I feel I need to elaborate here, because I don't want anyone to get discouraged from using the builder.  It is a GREAT template....  but challenging if:

• 1.  You attempt to use stamps mounted yet on wood blocks
• 2.  Use a piece of cardstock that is bigger than the template specs
• 3.  Decide to print the wreath smack dab in the middle of the ALL SIDES OVERLAPPING the template cardstock.  If you have this template and use it, you will 100% know what I'm talking about. 
• 4.  You choose stamps that really don't go with the flow for a wreath...for example strange shaped oversized leaves, or big ole chunky flowers... (I ended changing it up)

How I figured things out...first, I found a clear stamp that would work for my wreath leaves...and I did position my template in my Tim Holtz platform.  I used that low tack tape to redefine my template edges, as my position for each turn had to exceed the actual template edges.  This would make total sense if you tried what I did...I did NOT align things perfect, I will tell you, as one of the "turns" I eyeballed the placement with a piece of that 1" wide tape.  No need to try to understand what I'm saying here...nor no need for me to try to remember, because I will never probably do this again....Next time...I'm going with the 4"x4" size or the 3-3/4" square size or whatever size will fit perfectly inside the template...or at least 3 of the 4 sides, I'm ok with one side overhanging...just not all 4...  That.is.why.....I only stamped the leaves with my wreath builder template.  The remaining stamped images, were with my stamps, still on wood blocks, by HAND, lol...  Enough about parameter #3.  Moving forward, I am keeping the Wreath Builder template near me, and will go to town making wreaths AFTER I purchase a variety of leaf/flower type wreath building clear stamps.  I did check my Lavinia stash, and I do believe I have some good stamps in there for wreaths, PLUS, I've glanced at the Wreath Building Stamps, and will go shopping... After said and done, it was fun taking those wreath turns and creating a perfect (start of) a wreath.  I'm 100% thinking Christmas now...

4.  The Fourth Parameter:  Pre-Printed

This is where my commercial color laser printer comes in handy....  I decided to preprint my own background.  I color blended a 4-1/4" x 6" piece of card stock to my liking....then decided to scan it into a high resolution (600 dpi) jpg, and with my graphics program, I dropped the pre-printed portion of this postcard.  I now have a happy little tune playing in my head, and suddenly craving a Coca Cola....  My "world message" on the side, it took a minute to decide what to put there...I found inspo on Google, and changed the words 10 or more times...but in the end, I did like the message, because what the world really does need now, is PEACE, UNITY and HARMONY.  

So there you have it.  A very simple card for me.  So not my typical style.  I honestly was so dang tempted to put a die cut wreath on there, and add all kinds of bling and START OVER.  I even came close to putting a mock "stamp" on the address side of this postcard.  I even considered not finishing it at all.  But, by doing any of that...it would not be able to go through any mail system, and literal me...truly wanted to make a postcard that I could pop in the mail and not worry about anything catching in a machine or getting flagged out of transit.  I truly am on the fence with this card...every time I don't like it, I find something about the process, and how much I learned by doing it, that I actually do like it.  I got impatient at times with it, but, I got what I needed out of my time spent with it, now, to see if I actually do end up mailing it, lol...  

I think I'll go grab myself a Coke Zero (I'm dieting) I can't help but SMILE.

My Day Job...

 I don't share a lot of chocolate pictures here, for a couple of reasons...  Let me first start out by saying, I started my business in 1986....  I really have to laugh, as yesterday, I was talking to a client, who also started her business WAY.BEFORE.INTERNET.   There actually are quite a few of us out there, who fully know and remember the days of when proposals were written on pieces of scratch paper and handshakes sealed the deal.  What fascinates me, is that this is still how the world goes round in the big leagues...and I'm fortunate to have a business that has survived all the ups and downs to realize that.  I am so very thankful for my longtime retailers and distributors who have continued to support our business over the course of 40 years!  Today I'm sharing a little chocolate that was shipped to one of my longtime retailers in Sheraton, WY.  I'm pretty sure they were one of our very first customers, I can't remember a year we didn't supply their store with seasonal and themed chocolates and candy.  

 

Polka Dot Dairy Cows

 Blue Ribbon Sheep

 

Cute Lil Calf

 

 

 Piggies

 

 These fun novelties, along with other Western themed treats are an example of what we do on the daily.  No 2 orders are alike.  In fact, we didn't even advertise these farm friends, but was asked if we had farm animal molds and what can we do.  When we get an order like that, I'll peruse through our thousands and thousands of chocolate molds, and often find something I didn't even know we had.  (In this case, the pigs)  I knew we had the cows, as we did a big promo order awhile ago for a company exhibiting in a Farm Ag show, who specializes in the beef industry.  The sheep were new to me too, I don't recall us ever painting them up, they kind of remind me of a "blue ribbon" at the county fair kind of sheep.  

 

Anyhow, just a lil glimpse of where a big portion of my stress comes from.  These orders can be sizable...a typical trade show giveaway can be anywhere from 400 units (this week) up to 4000 (or more) units of product.  You just never know what the next phone call will be, but I do know, there will be something, as it's what has kept us going...for FORTY  YEARS!  What a wild ride it's been!

 

I decided to take a week off of paper crafting ... I needed a moment...  But, I will say, I made it back into my craft studio last night, so, we will see...  I have this crazy idea for this week's Craft Roulette.  I actually get to involve a little of my business tools to pull it off.  Who says there isn't a little perk owning a commercial grade color laser printer?  Thus, the 4th (random) parameter of Craft Roulette #322.  (I also get to utilize my stages of custom chocolate design methods too...eventually, I'll share some of those creations here too.  So many specific things we have done along the way....

 

  

So, stand by and see what I end up doing for CR #322.  I literally pulled out a supply I have NEVER figured out how to use....and am pretty convinced I can't use it with wood blocks, (I also pulled out some ancient SU stamps for this project)...  so, I either have to change my stamps of choice, or nix my tool, or figure a way to use the tool not intended for the type of stamps I'm using.  Oh, so much overthinking, but...a good diversion from thinking deadline chocolate...  I MIGHT share the other side of our daily business in the next post...  It's all so complicated, but, I wouldn't have it any other way....  So thankful for my Craft Therapy....