More more more!

It's been awhile again....way too much on my plate!  I do keep up with my facebook page better, if interested, you can follow my creations there, with details for now.  As things slow down a bit, I'll get better here...  so little time it seems!  :) 

Anyhow, here are the most recent weeks of creations, all inspired by participating weekly in Craft Roulette!  It definitely makes it easy to create, having the parameters, triggers some wild imagination on putting the 4 criteria together (changes weekly)...  and I am using product that has NEVER been used...this last weekend, a beautiful stamp set I purchased in 2007.....never inked....which is a shame.  (Since then, I think the company has discontinued direct sales...I don't want to misinform, however, so I'll refrain from sharing the name of the company.... I think one can find their wonderful stamps on Ebay maybe though...

Anyhow...  I have a few to share!  I hope I have the name right...I'm doing this fast, so I can check later.  I will have correct info on my facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057254447856

Scrappy Boy "I Yam What I Yam"

Scrappy Boy "A Pirate's Life"

Scrappy Boy "Hansel & Gretel)

Scrappy Boy "Cinderella"

Scrappy Boy "A Little Prince"

Crafty Secrets (Will check on the name, one of my older sets!)

 

 

As you see, I LOVE playing with Scrappy Boy stamps right now!!!  The Crafty Secrets set, was one I purchased 17 years ago...I LOVE the line, and was sad when the company took a break from selling direct.  I hope their wonderful product is still "out there"...  I think you can possibly find on Ebay, I LOVED Crafty Secrets, one of the truly greatest stamp companies I've ever bought from!!!!  PLEASE if anyone knows anything different...I'd love to know, so I can share the info on here and elsewhere!!!

 

Gotta go!

 

Trudi

Catching Up!!!! Craft Roulette's

The holidays are never easy for me to get in a crafting routine.  In fact, because we are so dang crazy busy in our chocolate business...I really don't get much quality time in The Trudio Studio, and I've even found the burnout after the holidays has caused me to be blah blah blah with many parts of my well being, or interests.  2023 was a hard year for me personally, and I had great plans to work through my physical owies...but on a personal level, I wasn't able to rally myself....  It was around June, when I decided to dabble a little in a fun crafting challenge called "Craft Roulette"....  I had heard about it, but didn't really know what it was all about!  I hate to even admit this, but it was on YouTube even, another something, I had never really gotten into....

So...I jumped in and decided to "play" along ... submitted my card, and shared on the Craft Roulette facebook page....  After my first week... I.WAS.HOOKED.  I played again and again and again...and to date, have participated 22 times...  

The website is EASY to navigate:

https://craftroulette.live/

Every Friday night, I catch the new episode on YouTube, as it is recorded live before my workday is over...I like to listen/watch it, while I'm in The Trudio Studio...  either working on a very labor intense project I've been creating for over a year, or...creating the weeks challenge.  What I'm getting out of this is many fold:

1. Learning to create FASTER than I'm used to....  (maybe all the extra steps I'm used to really aren't that necessary?)  That's been a challenge for me...I typically like to ink up the background cardstock, and make several "extra" cards, etc...but, that is truly what slows me down, and then I tend to have unfinished cards everywhere...I'm learning to do ONE AND DONE...and move on!  Sometimes I am not fully in love with my creation, as if I were to play longer, I'd tweak it a bit...but...it's getting easier and easier to MOVE ON!!!  
2. I'm using so so SO many supplies that have been neglected, never touched or saved for a rainy day...  My impulse buying has qualified me to say, I have enough supplies for a craft store...I really only need to replace adhesives at this point.  It's really self-rewarding to  have found a use for a stamp set or cardstock that I purchased over 20 years ago, and NEVER used until NOW
3. My creativity is on steroids right now, so it seems...my passion for creating is renewed every Friday night, when I learn of the challenge "parameters"....  It has inspired me to work on my "other" fun projects...currently a gift that will probably not be completed until Christmas 2025...it's labor intense, and I'm making MANY 
4. I'm meeting NEW craft friends along the way!!!!
5. I'M HAVING A TON OF FUNN!!!!!

If you peruse through my blog, or my facebook page (The Trudio Studio is my facebook page) you will see what I've been up to for the last 22 creations.  (My labor intense project is actually a gift x's 20, so it won't hit social media until it's given away...2 years from now...)  Looks like I have a little catching up to do... so, my recent creations are here:

 

 

All of these are on my facebook page, with descriptions of the parameters and the episode.  I'm getting caught up here with posting, so, I'll attach the link, if anyone is wanting to learn more about the thought process...  I do have an album where I've also individually placed the images by company, if there is interest in knowing where I purchased the stamps....  I may or may not have listed all the supplies, but, I certainly can, if someone is curious would love info!!!

The Trudio Studio:

 https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057254447856

Be on the lookout for episode #200!!!  If you enter a card, you are eligible for prizes by random wheel...this month, like every month....the prizes are super cool, and I even won once!  :)  

For now, toodles!

Trudi

Make a Wish!

 I was surprised I was able to get a card finished for this weeks Craft Roulette.  (Episode 192, my 17th card entered)  Things are still going strong in my business, so, my time is very limited...  That being said, playing around with my inks and card stock, really is therapy for me.  I had complete opposite stamps in mind when I started out, but, am glad I ended up in this direction.  I was able to enter my submission in time, and glad I still have the interest and desire to create during this crazy wild time.  For those of you who find yourself in a creative slump, I HIGHLY recommend Craft Roulette to get your groove on.  It's really easy to create when give 4 random parameters...  I admit, I stretched the interpretation of the parameters a bit this week, but, I am happy with the results just the same!

Parameters:  

1.  Thank You Card:  (Thank You sentiment inside)

2.  Roadside Stand Colors:  Huckleberry Stands found all over Montana!  :) (took a trip a few years ago)

3.  Yard Element:  All the twinkling stars seen from our country home back yard...beautiful

4.  Random:  Confetti....  in the diecut, kaboom!  

 Suppliers:

Whimsy Stamps:  Super cool die cut...  In the comic themes....  CHECK THEM OUT!!!  SO FUN!

Stamping Up:  Retired sets...not sure of names (On the Grid?  Basic Shapes?) grid lines and dots

Kindred Stamps:  The Fairy GodMothers!  What fun it is to travel back in fantasy land!

Inks:  Tim Holtz Distress Oxides.  I'm learning how to blend...

Alcohol Markers:  Not my Copics, (love my Copics) but random brands purchased on Amazon..

 

Holiday Traditions

 I will be brief on this...  I have elaborated on my facebook page:

 

 https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057254447856

 

I'm working super human hours, so I'll just post pictures for now!!!  These are a few of my recent Craft Roulette entries!!!!

I REALLY enjoyed this one, using an "oldie", but favorite retired Stamping Up "Gnobbly Gnomes" set.

Then there is this one.....  LOVED making this one, and intend to make MORE for Christmas cards this year!!!  I have 8 or so in the making!!!  I used an "Angie Girl" from Unity Stamps for this one.

And lastly, I found a few hours this weekend for this one....  I kind of copied a previous design of mine in the past (the snowy hills and the forest)  It worked for me then, but the cute "Bundle Girls Winter" from Stamping Bella, was a first for me.  I LOVE that line, you WILL SEE MORE of me using in the future!!!  This one will have a few extra touches on the extras I am making.  :)

Bye for now!  Need to get to working in the chocolate!  yikes...  HO HO HO HOLIDAYS!!!

Trudi

 

 

Back to School!!!

 I didn't give it a lot of time and thought for the sentiment....  I truly don't want to spend so much time on one card, this process is teaching me to "move along"... lol...  The weekly Craft Roulette challenge is doing just that...

What I'm THRILLED about, is using supplies that I wouldn't otherwise have thought of....  By choosing the sentiment that I did... I opened it up to send this to either a teacher, a school staff employee, or even a student... all awesome and all getting ready for a brand new year.

Episode #183 Craft Roulette:

Parameters:

1. Project: Ribbon / (tied matching ribbon on card)
2. Colors: Circus / (traditional red/distressed ivory/black/gold)
3. Element: September / Back to School
4. Random: Hand cut / fussy cut teacher image

 

 

 

This was one of my first REAL use of a stencil, adhered to my glass mat even, with purple repositional tape.  lol...  I have never used my mat to it's full potential, and I JUST BOUGHT the tape.  I may become a stencil freak now...  It was fun...  You need the little brush applicators.  I bought a bunch on Amazon, fairly cheap and have marked each one what color of ink they belong to....  I guess there are still MORE supplies for this crafter to buy yet.  (After 25+ years of buying...  hahahaha)

I used to use a ton of ribbon on my designs, not so much anymore, but I do have a few rolls from our chocolate factory in my studio room, and this one fit the color scheme.  I do have a narrower version of this ribbon in the factory...but, I'm not changing anything...  everything is cleaned and already put away...until next week!!!  

Side note...  I bought several Stamping Bella stamps 20ish years ago, and this was one of them.  These are some of the very first non-mounted stamps out in stamp land....it doesn't even have any cling foam adhered to the back.  I LOVE Stamping Bella then and love them now (they have cling foam on them now)...but this style of image isn't available anymore, so I treasure the 8 or so that I have, as you can't find them anywhere....  What a super creative company Stamping Bella is, was then and is now...  (RIP Emily)  I didn't look any farther for my "September" theme, once I found this image...I knew I wanted to design with it.  :)

Craft Roulette-Episode #182 - Groovy Groovy

The first time I inked up my Groovy Austin set, was for Craft Roulette, episode #182.  

Parameters:

1. Project: Circles

2. Colors: Vegetable Garden

3. Element: Screen

4. Random: Fuzz

 

 All kinds of wonky circle vibes going on here to cover the first parameter.  Vegetable Garden colors include carrots and radishes....  TV fits my "screen" element...  and although the intent was to showcase "fuzz" with the stamp off, blur and swirl, then stamp technique (background of the TV screen) you can't really see  it that well... so I also think Austin (and maybe me too) has a fuzzy brain while making this card.  lol  The technique (I really don't recall the exact name of the technique, so I called it what I think it should be called...) is REALLY COOL, and it was one of the first techniques I ever learned....  I promise, it will show up again in the future, but more when you can really see how it is shown.  

If I were to redo this card...I would change a bunch, but I just wanted to move on from it....  The die was really fun, I bought it from Scrappy Boy, the stamp set is from Kindred Stamps.

 

My lighting wasn't the best on the following pictures (both were made several years ago, using the stamp off, blur and swirl stamp technique....you can see muted snowflakes in the background and a few crisp stamped snowflakes/image/sentiment...super easy...and fun to do!  The wheat card was actually one of my all time favorite cards to make.  It was so simple, and it reminded me of the Palouse, driving back to college this time of year...through wheat fields, ready to harvest. 

 

 

Until next time...                                                                                                                                

Toodles!

Trudi

My NEW Found Inspiration!!!!!!

 Well, hello, it's been awhile!  This last year has been full of challenges and ups and downs, my paper crafting has been here, there and everywhere!  I'm working on a very labor intense project, that when complete, I definitely will share to the world.  It may be Christmas 2024 before that happens, and at this rate, perhaps 2025.  That being said, I truly LOVE working on it...  

Soooooooooooooooooooo....  what keeps me motivated?  Well...  I was introduced to something very fun...  like very FUNN...  called Craft Roulette.  Here is the link, and my this weeks contribution. 

https://craftroulette.live/

People who know me, have probably by now figured out, that I'm not as tech savvy as I could be, I JUST THIS YEAR ... started watching YouTube videos.  I see I can access them from my big screen Smart TV, I always could, but never thought about it, until I wanted to see who won Last Chance kitchen the day after each Top Chef aired.  My kids think I'm in the Flinstones days, I have a feeling.... I have been last to the party.  About 5 months ago, I received a Facebook invite to follow the Craft Roulette page... I never gave it much thought, and was a little confused about the concept.  It wasn't until this summer, did I decide to check it out.  Well... once I did, I never EVER looked back.  I have been toying with doing some sort of online craft something/business for a few years now, and sort of wish I had, this group is so much fun to play along with.  The weekly guests truly have exposed me to companies I never knew of, and the originator of Craft Roulette is a pure joy and delight to follow.  My concept isn't even close to this, nor will it be if I ever do my "thing"... but what I've learned, is to NOT BE INTIMIDATED!  I should know this, as in my chocolate business, I've had hesitation to try new business ideas....  RARELY am I disappointed with my decisions... I just need to go with it!

So... WHAT IS CRAFT ROULETTE?  you ask?  lol  (you really need to tune in to hear this question!)  Craft Roulette is owned by Mary Funn, (and  her son, I believe).... who has created 4 parameters, each with 24 wheel options...  The "wheel" is spun once on each parameter which then determines what you are creating with.  The concept is so cool, and my oh my...does it open up the creative gates, at least for me.  It has inspired me, and more important, has triggered me to use older, unloved  supplies that haven't seen the light of day for over 20 years!!!!  This post is getting very long winded, so I'll stop for now...  I urge you to go to my facebook page to see more: 

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057254447856

I have uploaded my 11 entries of Craft Roulette.  I missed a couple of weeks, I was sick for one, the other in a bad mood.  lol ...  I'll try to post updates here moving forward.  I lost my password, but found it... hahaha  Not sure anyone even comes to this blog, but if you do...  STAY TUNED!!!!!

My this weeks contribution was a ton of fun!  I enjoyed playing in The Trudio Studio this weekend, that's for sure!!!

 Toodles... Trudi