WFC2104W1 - Waffle Flower Challenge: Pastels

 

Today, I am thrilled to share a special card for a challenge with Waffle Flower Crafts. I was fortunate enough to take part in this challenge as a guest designer, and had an absolute blast creating my card.

The theme for the challenge is pastels - which is just perfect for me. I often use pastel colors and I love how they make any project feel dreamy and magical. For my card, I was inspired by the beginnings of spring all around me, so I decided to make a magical fairy card.

A little ink blending with white splatters and a spray of flowers and leaves pairs perfectly with two lovely fairies. I am so happy with how it turned out and please do expect to see me play with this fun stamp set a lot more in the future.

- Little Fairies Stamp Set

- Classic Sentiments Stamp Set

- Dots & Lines Sampler Paper Pad (Unicorn stripe)

- Enamel Dots - Up & Running

- Enamel Dots - Clearly Enough

Small Blog Tweaks

Now that we're half-way through 2019 and things have settled to a more natural pace, I wanted to make a chatty post and share a few of my plans for the rest of the year (and hopefully onward). I'm hoping that these changes will make both sharing and creating a little easier. As I like the idea of regular sharing, this kind of schedule should help me stay on track a little better.

The first is a posting schedule:
- Cards/projects shared daily Monday through Friday, with minimal text.
- Saturday and Sunday are my days off, with occasional chatty posts shared on Sundays.
- Once per month, I will be doing a recap post of the previous month.
- Once per season, I will be taking a whole week off to catch up or take a creative break.

I'm hoping that this new schedule will help me stay active on my blog and on Instagram without feeling overwhelmed. As it takes significant time to create, photograph, edit and schedule all the posts, I've found it really difficult to do this daily and still produce quality content. If I have a bad week where I'm sick or where there's a ton of events happening, it becomes extremely stressful to try and keep up the pace.

The second thing I wanted to share is that I will try to do a destash giveaway or two in the near future.

While I don't want this to be a giveaway blog, I do have a few stamps and supplies that could use a new loving home, and I would love to pass them on to someone who will truly enjoy them. I thought about selling them at a discount, but I don't have enough free time to be a seller and it seemed like an extra layer of stressful little tasks to ensure the exchange goes smoothly. So, I'd rather just do a giveaway when I can afford to ship off some goodies.

Lastly, I will be working on some personal mini-challenges again to keep things interesting.

I have a notebook full of ideas, themes, sketches and palettes and I want to turn it into cards. I would like to work my way through it - and have it help me work through a few other secret projects I've got going on.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Sticker Trio Challenge - Thanks

Simon Says Stamp - Sketched Flowers

The third and final card features one of the main reasons why I love and still keep stickers in my stash - a chance to try out a completely different style or theme without having to buy a ton of new supplies and learn a ton of new techniques.

For example, I have a few pinned "style" images that I adore the look of. It's got a vintage warmth to it and it combines cream, white, craft and natural things like twigs, leaves and butterflies. I'm not sure exactly how to classify it, but I know I wouldn't be able to pull off that look with my current collection of super cute stamps and dies.

Grabbing a sticker set that features that style would allow me to experiment with the look and the ideas without investing into a permanent supply (like a stamp). If I grow out of a style or find it too frustrating to work with, I can just pass the stickers on to someone who will enjoy them.

~Elle~

Enjoy the ride

Today is my birthday, so I quickly wanted to pop on and share this little scene card that I'm very happy with.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

CAS- Layered Love

Today's card is a clean-n-simple creation featuring dies and layers.

I've really loved the CAS layered style I've seen a couple of crafters use, but it's always eluded me. My own attempts felt clumsy and off - and it was a source of major frustration. I thought a part of it might be that I don't scrapbook. So things like layouts don't necessarily come naturally to me. Or maybe the problem was that I didn't have the right supplies.

But after much trial and error, I've come to the conclusion that it's simply a case of trying to shove my own preferences and work flow into someone else's visual. I mean, don't get me wrong.. I still appreciate the lovely creations those crafters share. But short of copying their cards exactly, I will never achieve the same results. So, I might as well do my own take on the style, right?

Today's card is the result. Lots of layers and elements, but a simple design. And I love it!

Thanks for reading.
~Elle~

Chatty Sunday: January Stash Kit review

Here we are at the end of January, and you're probably wondering what happened to the January stash kit. Tthe answer is... well, nothing fun.

For some reason, the kit for January just didn't work for me. Don't get me wrong, I actually loved all the components of the kit - I had a ton of random ideas for the stamps, the paper and the embellishments. I stamped out a whole bunch of cute images that I colored. I even put together a couple of extra cards! But the process, as a whole, left me very underwhelmed. I don't feel like I gave the supplies a good workout, and I really didn't feel that I should be setting the supplies down in the "used" pile.

And I'm kind of glad, actually. Not all supplies will inspire me in the same ways, and I think that's the whole point of doing this project - to figure out how my supplies are best used and to make something productive with them. The fact that a month was underwhelming is good. I went from very structured sets last year (thematic sets) to something completely random in January, and it was a bit like a swinging pendulum - neither extreme worked for me. I don't want completely structured, but I also don't want completely random, either.

With this in mind, I figured out a couple of changes I need to make to the kit process:

The first change is to make the kits a bit smaller. January's kit had 7 stamps - and that's just too much for a single kit. I've decided to go back to a 4-stamp model, with it being broken down to: one smaller set (ex. 3x3 or 4x4 set), one standard set (4x6), one larger set (4x7.5 or larger) and one sentiment set (any size). This gives me a great variety of stamps to use, but without feeling like the amount of material I need to use is overwhelming.

The second change will be to take out any rubber stamps. Although I do plan to use my rubber stamps, I think they're better-suited to single cards. Almost all of my rubber stamps are character stamps, and the majority are a bit complicated - so they take a lot longer to color. I think it will work better to use them as I'm inspired to, instead of forcing them into a kit.

And the last change will be to get rid of the monthly time element. Instead of a monthly kit, they'll just be kits - and I'll continue working on them for as long as it takes me to make 12 cards. I'm still hoping to hit that 1-kit-per-month mark, but I am also looking forward to feeling less pressure to try and cram making 8 cards in one evening. Deadlines can be a great motivator, but too rigid of a schedule starts making the process feel like a job or a chore, and I don't want that.

In the next week, I'll be sharing my next kit. The focus will be on birthday and masculine/boy cards, as I'm going to be working on some gift sets for Christmas.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Share what you love

It's finally starting to feel like summer has ended around here, with the temperature no longer climbing into the 80s, which put me in the mood to create something autumnal and lovely. When I think of autumn, the first thing that pops into my mind is watching a brilliant sea of leaves - all red and gold - as we drove to the local apple orchard to pick apples.

I've been blessed to have lived in areas that are full of trees and nature, places where autumn is a glorious treat for all our senses. And even when I moved away from my home in Canada, I moved to an area that's lush with trees and plants. So, autumn is once again that familiar glorious time where it feels like nature is wearing her best sumptuous velvet dress.

When I look at Power Poppy's stamps, I feel that same love of nature. So, it was only appropriate that I would choose Farmer's Market as the right stamp for my card. Both the crate of apples and the sentiment spoke to me, so they've been combined in this clean and simple creation.

Thanks for reading,
~Elle~

SOG - Sorceress and Ghost

Day 3 of Some Odd Girl release brings us an adorable Sorceress in Training, and an equally cute masked Ghost.

One of my favorite things about Some Odd Girl stamps is how fun they look when they're colored in bright shades. They take on a whimsical cartoon-y look and they feel like they could pop straight off the page and into a children's movie or book. And this adorable sorceress is no exception! With her wide-eyed look of amazement, she was just perfect to color in with purples, pinks, yellows and teal.

For my background, I wanted to go with something fun and abstract, and that's where my huge stash of patterned paper came in handy. I found this mixed media background and loved how it made the sorceress pop.

I added a sentiment from Fairy Magic and a little chipboard heart.

The second digi released today is a cute little masked ghost. I love the idea of one creature being costumed as another, so this double-costume ghost is just adorable!

Since I kept the coloring monochromatic, I found a fun ghost paper to pair it with and added a bit of orange vellum to bring in more color. My sentiment was spelled out of whimsical foam alpha stickers, and I popped up the ghost on some foam squares.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

SOG - Voodoo Lady

It's digi release week for Some Odd Girl, and that means you'll be seeing some awesome new cards on my blog and the rest of the DT girls' blogs all week long! If you'd like to see more, head over to Some Odd Girl blog and hop along with us! :)

Voodoo Lady was a stamp I requested, and I admit that I squealed a little when I saw the finished result. Of course, we know Kristy is awesome and beyond talented, but I really think she outdid herself with this awesome stamp. Not only is it a fun and different image, but the level of detail is plain amazing.

For my colors, I chose purples for her skin with some red accents (her tattoos and eyes). The rest of the palette was more earthy - olive greens and tans. I loosely based my coloring on some video game and fantasy book/comic book characters, but I think I gave her enough of a flair to be completely different and unique.

I spent ages on figuring out the background, but finally went with a black and a pink- as they both had the kind of texture that fit the image. I found a couple of fun stickers in my stash and used them for my sentiment. A few enamel dots to echo that red orb, and it's complete!

Thanks for reading,
~Elle~

Stash Kit Project

 Stash Kit Project is a personal challenge created to help me focus on my existing stash and to make use of supplies I've purchased but did not use (or did not use enough). The idea behind this challenge is very simple: create a kit of coordinating stamps, paper and embellishments and make several cards throughout a month with it.

My kits will be similar to card kits you can get from Simon Says Stamp, but I will be adding several stamp sets instead of just one. I'm keeping the first kit pretty simple, just to give myself some time to get used to the process and to go over some other things I may need in future kits. I'm also going to keep track of everything I use with the kits, so I can make them portable for traveling or crafting on the go.

Want to play along with me?
Here's the basic rules:
1) As the goal of this project is to make use of supplies, you should only use what exists in your stash - no shopping for new products allowed!
2) Give yourself some choices, pick products that you've used before and loved, then mix them with products you've never used.
3)  Retired products are good! I encourage you to pick retired goodies as long as they inspire you to create something awesome. Tip: You can google the name of the product and find the product sheet to link to so your readers can see what it looks like before you've played with it.
4) Think small - fewer kit elements mean you have a better chance of completing your goal. You can always add extra items if you run out of everything, but you don't want to be stuck with half a kit to use up as the month winds down.
5) Pick a goal. How many cards will you make? This will both give you something to work toward and help you decide how big your kit needs to be.
6) Have fun! Simplest rule, but the most important one. If you're not enjoying the process and you're forcing yourself to make things, don't be afraid to take a step back. Treat it as a learning experience that will help you construct a better kit next month.

I also thought I'd share how my kits will be stored.
I purchased a set of A4 zipper bags from Amazon, and they're the perfect storage bags. I can add several stamps, a paper pad, some cardstock and embellishments. And since the set comes with 12 bags, I can set up the kits a month or two in advance if I need to.

If you decide to take part in the Stash Kit project, do let me know! I'd love to check out your blog/site and send some extra support your way. :)

Find a follow-up and more information in Part 2.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Edit: I've added a picture for easy post pinning!

Chatty Sunday: Using up Supplies

 
I'm starting today's chat with a quick card share that illustrates something I've been working on a lot lately - using up my supplies. The card itself includes some paper and embellishments from Lawn Fawn, most of which are no longer available for purchase.

I have a stash of "consumable" supplies I got over time. It includes patterned paper, embellishments, ink, and more. The majority of these supplies are retired, and others are just perpetually out of stock because they're popular with crafters. Ever since I got them, I've always hesitated using them - rationalizing that I'll miss them when they're used up and regret not saving them for the perfect project.

And while that logic is sound -- after all, what I hate the most is being unprepared and feeling like I'm missing a million things -- the reality is actually quite different.

First, there's no such thing as a "perfect" project. Every project is important in its own way, whether I love or hate the result. And - more importantly - creativity is not product-dependent. By assuming that I'll be so upset over a missing supply that I won't be able to think of a creative way to do without it, I'm really telling myself that I have no confidence about my skills. Some of what feels like my best work came from being limited - by supply, theme or more. So, I should embrace the limitations and be excited about all the new ideas that might spring from them.

With that line of reasoning in mind, I went out and grabbed some of those supplies I've been saving and used them on a card. And another card. And another. It didn't use up everything, but I've got a little stack of cards I can use or wrap up as a set for a friend/loved one.

I was dreading that I would feel regret after using those favorite supplies, but I actually felt happy. I felt like my original purchase was justified -- which is an even better feeling! I didn't buy my supplies so they can sit in the crafty closet. I bought them because they inspired me and I was excited to use them.

I realized that I wasn't really trying to hold onto the supply itself, but that excited, inspired feeling I got when I looked at something I liked. That feeling isn't tied to the specific product alone. Sure, maybe I'll need to wait a little while before I find another amazing paper pad or before flair is back in trend. Eventually, though, I'll find something new I love. And then I can have fun shopping for it.

In the meantime, I've got plenty of treasures in my stash to keep me busy and plenty of ideas to play around with.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Chatty Sunday: Card Sets and Stash Cards

It's time for another chatty Sunday! This week I want to talk about card sets and stash cards.

When I sit down to make cards, I generally make one-of-a-kind cards. This makes cards great to share and write about on my blog, as each card is different and unique. I also often send batches of these unique cards to friends and family for everyday use (and from what I can tell, it's appreciated!).

But sometimes I'd like to gift someone a small set of cards - maybe a set using their favorite colors, or a special theme that's meaningful to them. And that's where "one-of-a-kind" type of card that takes too long to create -- and multiples are just not feasible.

I think a key to card sets is to have a lot of unifying elements -- things like same color palette, similar stamps and similar card design/layout. In addition, I think it's important to plan everything out in advance. That way, the process can be broken into steps that are easier to manage.

One of my biggest inspirations for card sets is Kristie Marcotte's 6x6 paper pad tutorials. If you're not familiar with Kristie, she has several tutorials for making cards out of a complete 6x6 paper pad. I love her concept! Not only does it use up supplies, but she provides readers with measured sketches and a video of the whole process.

Another thing I've noticed is that my "card" stash is dwindling and in serious need of replenishment. I've got no sympathy and no birthday cards left - which is a bit alarming! And my "thank you" card batch is down to 3 cards...

Since I've been bit by the organizing bug, I'm going to spend a little time coming up with a "card stash basics" plan - things like "birthday boy" cards or "elegant thanks" cards will be very useful and I can tailor them to fit with my circle of family and friends. For example, there's a lot of boys in my husband's side of the family, so having a good stash of masculine cards will be great.

I'm super excited about both of these projects, as it should get me to really make use of my stamps. I'm going to aim to create several cards with each stamp set - something I tried with Mama Elephant's Charmed set recently.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Happy New Year!

And we've officially rung in the new year! I wish you all prosperity, happiness and good health in 2016, and may your New Years' resolutions come to fruition!

I  had originally planned to make an awesome card to ring in the new year, but I've had a few busy days lately. I did get a chance to get crafty and created a couple of thank-you cards for some lovely and generous friends and family (who really spoiled us for Christmas!). They've already been mailed, so I can't snap a picture.

Instead, I figured I'd do a chatty/rambling little crafting update.

In my effort to prepare for the new year, I've been going through and organizing some of my crafty supplies. Organizing is kind of tricky. On one hand, it's a great way to go through all of my supplies to find hidden treasures and to get very inspired. On the other hand, it takes over my free time, so I'm not actually creating anything. It feels very productive, but there's nothing to show for it. However, it's still something I have to do a few times per year - such as during major holidays or when I need to pull out stamps I don't use all year round.

My big resolution/goals this year involve using what I have, and I thought it would be a good idea to go through some of my stash as a reminder of all the goodies I own. I also took the opportunity to put away the winter holiday crafting materials in a way that kept it neat and organized.

So, I thought I would share some of my organizing solutions that will help me stay on top of making cards this year.

- I have a mini-crate in my crafty cart with stamps I really want to use. This is more convenient and keeps me from constantly having to dig into my stash to find a stamp to use. In the crate, I have some of the newest stamps I got, a few favorites and a selection of never-before-used stamps I've been meaning to ink up. Having this crate is going to help me focus when I sit down without a specific idea on what I want to make. But the rest of m stamps are still close by in case I'm inspired to use a special stamp or two.

- I'm still using the mini-sticker dot system to mark which stamp sets I've used. I've also started putting check-marks on the dots with cards I've blogged about and a little dot on cards I sent out to family/friends for their birthday. I try to do something slightly different for each birthday card, so it helps me to know when I've used a stamp set already.

- I went through my paper pads and made myself mini paper bundles. This one took a bit of time, but I really think it was worth it. I started by pulling out all the papers that I liked or that I felt I needed out of a mountain of paper pads. Then, I chose several papers that fit a specific theme (ex. masculine cards) or palette (ex. pink, mint and gold) and bundled them together using a little piece of post-it tape to hold them. I really love this idea because I can quickly grab a bundle and know I'm set with all the papers I'm going to need for a card or 5.

- I chose some embellishments and put them in a plastic zipper pouch. I happened to have several of these pouches, so I was able to divvy up my embellishments into 4 categories: enamel dots, flowers, dimensional elements (woodchips, flair, etc) and stickers. I left my sequins in their containers, since they're really well organized there already. I will go through the pouches once per month and keep track of what's been used up.

- Lastly, I prepared a few card bases. Since I make my own card bases from cardstock, this involved cutting and scoring cardstock. It's a bit repetitive, but it's something I can easily do with music playing in the background. And it does save me a bit of time to not have to do it while making a card.

Thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Chatty Sunday: Plans for 2016

In my last post, I mentioned that I wanted to make a chatty post about my plans for the new year, and I figured today was the best time to do so. The rest of December is jam-packed with holiday prep and events, work and trying to make sure I haven't forgotten anything major. I'm also looking forward to spending some quiet moments with the family, once the holiday celebrations are out of the way.

You may recall my super excited post last year, where I talked about my One Hundred Cards challenge... Sadly, I did not complete that challenge (boo). After some thought, I'd come to the conclusion that it's because it was just too ambitious. 100 cards is a lot - even in a year. While I definitely want to take up this challenge again, I don't think I can make it into a yearly resolution. Instead, it will be an ongoing project - maybe one I can finish in 3 years or 10!

So... For the upcoming year, I decided to scale back quite a bit and make a more reasonable goal. It might sound like a bit of a boring goal, but I'm personally really excited and inspired by it.

In 2016, my goal is to spend the first half of the year just using up my existing supplies. I'm planning on keeping close track of how often I use up my consumables such as adhesives, patterned paper, cardstock and embellishments. At the same time, I plan to also make use of all the stamps and dies I own -- especially those that I've owned for a while. In doing so, I'd like to see if I have any stamp/die themes where I need more variety or areas that are getting too large to use effectively. I'm also thinking about posting my reviews of the products I used up. I know I love reading reviews, as they help me make a better decision about what to buy (or not to buy!), so hopefully all of you out there enjoy them too.

One of my recent big challenges has been finding room for all the supplies I own. A big part of that is my tendency to be prepared, so I stock up on things like extra adhesive, extra cardstock, extra embellishments, ink refills etc etc. However, without a clear idea of how many materials I use up on a regular basis, this can quickly (and easily!) lead to being overstocked. I think I probably have enough re-inkers for my hybrid inks to last me for years, for example. Since all of those things take up valuable stash space, I definitely want to make sure they're being used up. This is especially important because newer and better supplies continue to come out, and I don't want to end up throwing out hundreds of dollars worth of things years from now because they're just not useful.

The only thing I did not stock up for is Copic refills. I'm sure there are a few of them I could really use refills for, but I'm going to try to hold out and either use the palette that still works or switch around to other methods of coloring (pencils, watercolor, etc). I've been meaning to branch out and use all kinds of coloring techniques, so that works out very nicely for me.

For the second half of the year, I'm going to continue using up supplies while making a few small purchases to replenish my consumables and grab those can't-live-without supplies (spoiler: it will be a lot of new Lawn Fawn and Birdie Brown stamps). I'm hoping that those first 6 months will help me make much more informed purchases and help me focus on getting things I really truly need instead of things I'm afraid of running out.

In preparation for this, I've been working on some extra organization in between finishing up my holiday projects/prep. I've made some mini-kits for papers and embellishments, as well as pulled out a few stamps I feel especially inspired to use. As geeky as it might seem, I've really enjoyed planning this out and I'm looking forward to what the new year will bring!

Thanks for reading through my rambly chat.
~Elle~

Chatty Sunday: Impulse buys and pacing

Today, I'm combining a chatty Sunday post with a card - mainly because my chat has to do with one of the stamps I used on the card. The card itself is nothing really special. It's very simple and it doesn't feel completely finished, but I really wanted to share it because it's a great way to illustrate my ramble-y chat.

The drinking mice on the card are from Penny Black's Homemade stamp set, which features several absolutely adorable images of mice and making/eating home-made goodies. I first saw this stamp set a couple of years ago, when I got into card-making. I immediately fell in-love with it, but it happened to be out of stock in the store I was shopping at, so I never got it.

Over the next few shopping tricks, it never ended up making it into an order. Sometimes I'd put it in the cart, but then take it out because I needed another stamp more. Other times, I'd just write myself a wish-list reminder that I should get it when I had a budget to spare. Whatever the reason, I didn't get the stamp set right away, and then forgot about it in a flurry of brand new releases.

Recently, I came across the Homemade stamp again and -  to my surprise - found it just as interesting and as inspiring as it was two years ago. I was amazed that a stamp with an image I'd seen at least a hundred times was still something I wanted in my stamp collection. So, I bought it! And I'm incredibly pleased with my purchase. I've already thought of/planned out several cards featuring the stamp set, and I'm really looking forward to making them happen.

Inspired by this, I immediately ran to browse other Penny Black stamps and see if there was another set or two I just had to have. Of course, I found about a hundred and even went to fill my cart to the brim with awesome stamps. But I didn't complete my purchase.

You see, a little while ago I'd narrowed down one of the biggest behaviors that make me overspend and go way beyond my budget -- impulse buys. If there's a new release or a new sale going on, I find myself mighty tempted to go overboard. And then one purchase leads to the next, as I discover that I missed getting something or something that was out of stock is now available. It's a bit of a vicious circle - one that's just terrible for my budget.

So, I took a step back and decided to apply my new buying tips:
- I wait a few weeks between placing things in my cart and actually buying them.
This seems like a small step, but it's a HUGE help. Those few weeks give me a chance to really think about what I'm buying and decide if it's worth investing in. There have already been several stamps that I felt like I absolutely HAD to have at release, but then I changed my mind a couple of weeks later. Likewise, there were a few stamp sets that didn't seem like a big deal, but I continued to feel inspired by enough to buy.
- I don't shop sales.
I appreciate a good deal just as much as any crafter does, but every sale ends up with me filling up my cart with piles and piles of supplies. Sometimes I luck out and get awesome deals on things I adore. But most of the time, I end up with just way too many supplies that get looked over or forgotten. Paying full price (or close to full price) gives me less supplies, but it makes me value them more - not to mention stops me from getting overwhelmed by new goodies.
If there's a sale or discount code when I'm placing my order, I make use of it. Otherwise, I don't worry about it.
- I make only one order per month.
I find it easier to stay on budget if I limit myself to making just one order. Having to get everything in one trip really makes me re-examine just how much I need the things I'm adding to the cart. Some months, I find myself getting new stamps, dies and embellishments. Other months, I'm stocking up on staples like adhesive, cardstock and ink. I'm able to balance things better and find myself making much better use of my supplies.

So! My next Penny Black haul will have to wait a little. But, I'm sure I'll discover many must-have sets to fall in-love with while I wait. In the meantime, I'll be making good use of Homemade and creating several projects I've got bouncing around my creative brain.

Happy Sunday to you all, and thanks for reading!
~Elle~

Sunday Chat: Motivation and Pressure

I've been in this weird slump lately, feeling both extra creative/inspired and unmotivated to actually make something. A part of it is that I've been putting in extra hours at work, and between that and getting sick, I'm absolutely exhausted. But a much bigger part of it is that I've got this feeling of being completely overwhelmed by the million ideas I've got and struggling with how to make them happen.

I've got a notebook full of ideas - ideas for cards, ideas for features and challenges for my blog, and ideas for new techniques (hello art journaling!) to try out. I want to make each idea happen, and I've always felt invigorated and inspired looking through them. Even in this weird mood, I still wanted to make all of those ideas happen - but there was this unexplained block.

So, I spent what little free time I've had lately on organizing my supplies and lurking on various card-making blogs, hoping to get just the right push to jump back into creativity. And then this morning, in a moment of synchronicity, Sandy Allnock posted this video on her YT channel. The mistake #3 is what got to me.

While I want to say there was a big moment of epiphany, with an angelic choir and beams of light shining down, it really was just a quiet moment of making a few things click. Somehow, over a long time, I've managed to slowly build up pressure and make my card-making (and art) really complicated.

I've gone back and forth (and still do!) about what to do with old/retired supplies. I've gone back and forth between finding personal challenges fun and finding them to be a chore. And I've struggled with finding that happy medium in blogging where posts are a combination of inspiring, educational and fun to read.

On some level, I've been emulating the many amazing card-making blogs I read. Yet I've done so without taking into account that a lot of those bloggers are professionals. Card-making, videos and blogging is their job, and they pour as much effort into it as I do with my day job. But I don't have the time (or the drive, really) to make crafting a second job. It's my bliss and what I do to relax - which is really hard if it starts to become another chore.

Watching Sandy's video this morning was a great reminder that I should just do. Just make cards, practice new skills and enjoy the process. So, I decided to drop the million plans/challenges/blog tweaks (for now, anyway) and focus on having fun. The moment I decided that, a huge weight just fell off my shoulders and I could feel that elusive mojo trickling back in.

Thanks for reading.
~Elle~

Make Your Own Card Kit -- Kit 1 review

Alright, so I finally found the slightest bit of time to create this post - even though it feels like the cards have been sitting on my desk for ages! To see how I made my kit, click here.

So, let me start with all the cards I created with this kit:

 

I ended up with 5 cards, which is pretty awesome. But I'm not a huge fan of all of them (which makes me feel a little underwhelmed). Some of the cards were very experimental and completely different from my usual style, so they're lacking my usual confidence. I did, however, learn quite a bit about both my own process and the way I should make my kits in the future.

So, let's get down to what I learned:

- I had too much patterned paper. At most, 5 cards should need 6 papers, so my 12 choices were just too much.

- I had too many embellishments. Not only did I use only a few of them, but I ended up mainly sticking with enamel dots because they fit most everything.

- I had too many stamp sets. I struggled to use as many of them as possible, and didn't feel like I did any single set justice. 

 - It was a good idea to have one focal piece. I made a real dent in the chipboard sticker set, though I did not use all of it yet. I'm going to try using it up in the future cards, too.

- Outside adhesive and a couple of inkpads, I didn't need to go outside the kit at all. It was very well-rounded in terms of giving me everything I needed. I definitely feel like I should continue to include all the different elements I included (but with less quantities).

-  Having the card bases cut and scored in advance saved a bit of time, but I need to start adding extra cardstock I can use for layering and die-cutting. Especially white cardstock - it's a staple!

Overall, I had a positive experience with the kit, even if it was a bit challenging to use. I did like that a lot of the material from the kit got used up, but I'm going to assemble the next kit better - just so I can have less left-overs. I'd also like to add some dies to the kit, as I've got to make a dent in those, too. And I think I want to add some inkpads into the mix, as well. I've got some inky colors I just love, but haven't used to their potential yet.

Lastly, I plan on making another kit soon and sharing what I picked out.

Thanks for reading!

~Elle~

Update! (and a chat)

I mentioned a few entries back that I wanted to make some good changes, so I wanted to go a bit more in detail about what I'm planning to do and why. If you want to just read the changes themselves, scroll down to the Changes title.

A little while ago, I bought a small notebook & a pen, and I started a gratitude journal. At the end of every day, I take a few minutes to slow down and think about 3 little things I'm grateful for - a different something each day. One thing that became very obvious to me right away is that there are so many things in my life that I'm grateful for. The challenge is to narrow it down to just 3, and that's really amazing.

Even though I've only been doing a gratitude journal for a short time, I've already noticed some great benefits. I've found myself a lot more content, which led to feeling more relaxed overall. And that in turn made it even easier to find things I'm grateful for. But more importantly, it made me appreciate what I have. It brought my focus back to enjoying what I hold in front of me as opposed to just thinking about the next thing I need to get. All of it snowballed into making a lot of other positive changes in my life -- from eating healthier to exercising more, to having an easier time at work and more.

Then, a couple of weeks ago, we had our taxes done. This process is a bit more complicated because I'm an independent contractor (i.e. self-employed), so we had to carefully go through our expenses and make sure we've claimed everything properly. In the process of this, we added up the money spent on crafty and art supplies... And it's a staggeringly high amount. I only recalled making a couple of really big orders, but once all the little amounts got added, it just grew and grew. It wasn't so bad that we needed to take out a second mortgage and sell our cars or anything like that. But it's still was so much more than I ever spent on a hobby, and way above any budget I'd set for myself.

Altogether, it was a wake-up call that happened at just the right time. If I hadn't started my gratitude journal, I would have felt that massive feeling of guilt for overspending that would carry onto my card-making. I would have had creeping feelings of resentment about not being able to spend money on brand new shiny things. I might have even abandoned cards altogether. But armed with my feeling of contentment and plenty, I saw it as a another confirmation that I'm on the right path -- that I should continue to focus on what I already have instead of looking for what else I need to get.

This shift in focus means stepping away from buying new products. I'm not going to go on a formal spending freeze or anything like that. I tried really hard several times, and it was never really successful. I either got too tempted and ordered stuff anyway, or I didn't order for a while and then made a massive order with everything I would have bought before anyway. But I am going to spend less. I need to embrace what supplies I own and make use of them - regardless of whether they're retired, used a million times by others or out of trend. They're still new and exciting to me, so I'm looking forward to using them.

However, this exciting new direction also means a change for my current setup. I probably won't be able to make the same kinds of blog posts or join the same kind of challenges. Maybe it even means going completely unnoticed by companies and other crafters (though, thankfully, there are a lot of great companies that love and share their old material, and lots of new crafters who haven't grown tired of an old stamp. So there's still hope!). But I think the change is worth it and I hope you'll embark on this journey with me.


Changes
To make this a little easier, I'm going to make a few changes on my blog.
1) I'm going to be focusing on the process, thinking and inspiration instead of specific products. I will still link a few products here and there, as well as add in the right tags so you can find manufacturers easier. I just won't be spending as much time linking and naming everything I used.
This will make writing posts a lot easier for me, not to mention faster. So, hopefully it will mean more sharing.
2) I'm going to walk away from the step-by-step written instructions. After watching a ton of videos and reading just as many blog posts, I've come to the conclusion that step-by-step things work much better in a video. Just reading the text gets a bit boring and bland, not to mention that it really only makes perfect sense to me since I've already made the card.
3) I'm going to do a TON of new personal challenges, mini series and implement ideas I jotted down in my idea notebook. I'm giving a fair warning because they will be all over the place, but there's no reason to wait just because I worry it will be too much. They're things that inspire me, and I should use that inspiration.
4) I'm going to occasionally share mixed media or other art. Though I love cards, I'd also like to get into things like art journaling or watercolor practice. I've gone as far as buying several supplies specifically for art journaling, but haven't taken the plunge yet. I'd like to start in April, after I have a bit of extra time to devote to it. I'll try to share some of my future attempts here.
5) I'm going to change the blog look just a little -- which you should be seeing right now. I've switched the background to be a bit more neutral and simple, and added a blog banner. I hope you like it!

And that's all for now. Sorry for the wall of text, but I wanted to share all of this because I'm both excited and feeling like I'm on an absolutely right path.