CARDS AND SUCH

As every good scrapper should with the hoard that we all know we secretly have, it is near a travesty to go ahead and buy a card when there are more than abundant supplies readily available at home.

Making cards for me is somewhat of a dilemma, especially when I make a card that I really like and then have to give it away. It is also a challenge to balance between the fine line of the card being too simple or overly embellished. So here is my version of the cards that I needed over the weekend and thus quickly whipped them up.

Supplies: Silhouette SD, Crate Paper, My Mind's Eye, October Afternoon, Martha Stewart, EK Success, Jenni Bowlin

Yes I used my silhouette for all the titles of the the cards as they were all similar and using up the same letters The miser in me didn't want a pack of thickers to disintegrate and be "useless" due to the 'S' and 'E's being used up.The Crate Paper rose is a classic, I feel, and can be used for any card or delicate feminine project.

Next up , another birthday card, this time for a boy.

 Supplies: Silhouette SD, Jenni Bowlin, Crate Paper, Echo Park, Studio Calico, Prima

As the white words were not standing out from the background behind as much as I wished that they would, I layered the birthday word on a teal patterned paper and cut around it, while inking the other title with a teal chalk ink from prima.

Again I used banners as it's a birthday (: and I absolutely love the camera from echo park, that whole piece of paper, my only comment being that I wished that the cameras were bigger on the patterned paper.

Last, but not least, a graduation card.

Supplies: Crate Paper, Martha Stewart, Whisker Graphics, The Twinery, Studio Calico

My obsession with the wooden veneer stars lives on, and I think that they are really appropriate for a graduation card. I'm still loving woodgrain and this particular woodgrain from the Crate Paper Christmas line of 2011 has my heart. I used it to cut out one of my favourite butterfly shapes from the silhouette store.

That's all I have to share today and I'm liking the card making, so I might make more to store and share them too.

CATCHING UP WITH DECEMBER

Here's more of my album to share, though it has been really hard to get good photos as it has been dreary rainy weather here in Singapore and I am often out of the house before sunrise and only back after sunset:

 

                 

I still have more pages to add, but I think so far so good.

A couple of notes about what worked for me and what didn't:
1. Jot down the memory that you have for each day so that decision making is hastened. Less time spent fussing, more time spent crafting.
2. Though it would be ideal to work on it s each day passes, it doesn't work for me and I work better with doing a few days in a row, both printing and creativity wise
3. Snowflakes were cut by my silhouette and helped add a "christmas" atmosphere
4. To use a good mix of typewriter and handwritten notes is just right for me.
5. Label stickers are a go to asset for several reasons: it provides a place for journaling and helps it to pop out when the page/background is exceptionally busy.
6. I realised that I am really really picky when it comes to the fonts that I choose to showcase in a mini album. I only like specific fonts and not much of others and I like consistency and more graphic type designs.
7. I like the glossiness and pop that the tin pins gave. So much so that I have plans for that for 2012 that I will shall when it is ready.
8. Used a photo template for the first time. Will experiment more for sure to use it more often next year especially for event type pages/photos.

I feel more prepared for project life and tackling it next year. My binder, my page protectors and core kit are ready to be exercised. Must remind myself to not stress over filling it but just to document things from my life now. Especially since it seems to be one full of travel at the moment. And I will be posting here, hopefully regularly so check in for my take on project life. *fingers crossed that I keep up with it and take enough photos from life to fill it up nicely*