Cardmaking and Paintingmaking and and and

Sometimes, my life turns into a hurricane of activity.  Except not as much fun.

When the storm clears, and the air calms and I'm left sitting amidst a pile of debris- however, I think, "Wow! That was fun!  Let's do that again!"

It's a horrendous cycle of abuse.

The new play that I'm stage managing opened last week.  That's stressful enough, on its own!  But even without being able to sleep for a week, I still managed to find fifteen minutes to sit down and make one of my 'Fifteen Minute Cards.'  

No, I don't time them-  it's an estimated average.  They might not even take fifteen minutes. 

What I've found, about my cardmaking, is that the less time I have to obsessively move layers of papers around, the better my card turns out!   So that's some advice, from me, if you're having trouble coming up with a design.  Tell yourself that you've got fifteen minutes, total and at most, to make a card, and if you don't finish it in the allowed time, then you'll die or be late to work (whichever is more frightening to you). 

I needed a birthday card for my beloved boss- and since the first day of spring is (too freakin) near, I wanted something with a spring theme. 

To speed up the process, I used a tip that I picked up from May Flaum's e-book, FASHIONABLY FAST- which is available from Big Picture Classes.   I'm preparing a review of the book, as not only were they so kind to include me when sending out review copies- but also because IT IS A GOOD BOOK.  What's the tip I used?  Well, actually I used two- but the main tip I used, which to be fair is a tip I've heard a couple of places so far- is to use one line of product.  I don't know about you- but sometimes I just need to be told the most obvious of things.  If you don't have time or the skillz to match papers, just grab a collection pack!  Too easy, huh?  Yeah- that does kinda take some of the fun out of it (for me) but if you're in a hurry or if you just want to concentrate on the layout instead of the color- well hell, make it easy on yourself and grab a collection.  Nobody gonna judge you.  If they do, remind them that you know what they did last summer. 

I used BasicGrey's FACT AND FICTION - you know, that line that I went crazy for at JoAnn.  Not only did I buy every bit of it- but I bought multiples.  I'd be back at JoAnn and see it on sale and I can't pass that up-  aaaaaand I'd think, "Hmm. I don't think I got that, anyways."   Imagine my surprise to find five of each thing when I tried re-organizing not too long ago...

So that was the only 'technique,' to that card, really-  I chose a collection (Fact and Fiction) that had the look I wanted at the moment, picked out the appropriate sentiment- Happy Birthday, from a sentiment set that I picked up on clearance at Hobby Lobby for a dollar, and layered a few embellishments.  The bird was part of a larger journal card- but I really liked that bird (and my boss LOVES birds) so I cut him out.  Cuz that's allowed. 

What else have I been up to?  Really?  You're still here and you want to know more?

I've been learning how to paint with WATERCOLORS! 

I can't tell you why I thought it was something I wanted to know more about-  it just occured.  I got out a pad of watercolor paper and my paints and did a Google search for a tutorial.  I don't know about you- but in the past, to use watercolors, I wet my brush and rubbed it on the little cake in the plastic pan, then rubbed it on the paper.  HOW DO THESE PEOPLE MAKE THOSE BEAUTIFUL DREAMY PAINTINGS?!

Imagine my surprise to learn all about adding water, mixing trays and etcetera!

Following along with an online tutorial, I set out to complete a watercolor.  Here it is, my first attempt, ever:

I promise, I'm not deluded into thinking I'm a master painter or anything- but it sure looks better than I thought my first attempt would look like! I'm sorry I can't find/remember the link to the tutorial - I will find it and add it, as I want to credit the site responsible for all the fun I had, learning a couple of things!

I struggled through a coupla more tutorials- fish, a flower, a butterfly, an unfortunate mountain landscape... finally, I decided I wanted to try something of my own-  my first complete original watercolor.  Of course, I chose to paint a portrait of my beloved son, Nelson. 

Given my limited drawing and painting skillz, I naturally opted for a more 'wiggly abstract' look, than attempting any sort of photo-realism!

Okay, I've got work to do and teeth to make (prop teeth- no, I'm not an at-home dentist) and collage materials to cut out:

Come on over and play, if you'd like! 

-kory k

Happy Valentine's Day!

Why HELLO!   Hap-hap-HAPPY Valentine's Day!

I'm in such a good mood, today.  Why?  I don't know.  Maybe it has something to do with all the sugar that's pounding through my veins, thanks to all the candy that people have left on my desk.  Or from the cupcakes that Miss Marie made...  Or from the pure sugar I've eaten, straight from the packets at the coffee machine. 

I love Valentine's Day.  Even when I've not been 'in loooooooove,' I've loved Valentine's Day.  Remember when we were little and pronounced it as 'VALLEN-TIMES?'   I love that...  Every time I hear a little kid say 'VALLEN-TIMES,'  a piecet of my heart thaws. 

I miss having a party in school, making a Valentine's mailbox, and passing out those cheap grocery store cards in the flimsy envelopes.  I remember thinking somebody was really cool if they were able to talk their Mom into springing for the cards that came with suckers to stick through slots in the card. 

Oh I love memory lane.  I'm usually drunk driving down it- but today, I'm on the sugar high express. 

Anyways.  As fond as my memories of cheap grocery Valentine's are- I still enjoy being 'grown,' and making my own cards.  So here's a selection of some of the many different cards I made for this year!

I loved making these faux polaroid shapes, using a square punch (for the dark gray paper) and my paper trimmer to cut the white rectangle.

Mist!  Masks!  Washi!  Die cuts!  Stamping!  Wow- how many techniques can I squeeze onto one square card?

If there's anything cooler than all these date roller stamps that these companies release every 15 minutes, I don't know what it is...

This one, above, is very simple.  I cut a scrap square of paper into strips on the paper trimmer.  Stuck them on, put a strip of washi (which I'd also cut in half!) and topped with a stamped and cut-out image.  The stamp was from the dollar bin at JoAnn.  How cheap was this card?  Scraps!  Washi cut in half lengthwise!  Dollar bin stamp!

I got the new blueprint Valentine's stamps from Mr. Holtz/Stampers Anonymous and had to play around with the famous 'wrinkle free distress' technique.  I LOVE playing with Distress Inks on my craftsheet!  I just feel like such a pro, misting the ink with water and smashing the tag down!  Sometimes, I even pretend to be Tim Holtz, and say to Holly, "Remember! Distress is reactive with water!"

Aaaaand on the last card that I've got to show, right now, you can see where I played around with my Distress Markers, coloring a couple of stamped images.  I love Distress Markers.  Has there ever been a more perfect marker?!  No.  There hasn't.


If I can manage to snap more pics of the cards I've made, before I head downtown to the theatre tonight, I'll post them-  final weekend of CRIMES OF THE HEART!  Come on downtown and see the show, if you're in town!  Next up:  Tracy Letts' BUG.  

Lots of love and HAPPY VALLEN-TIMES DAY!

-kory k

I promise, I've not deserted you...

Just as that picture illustrates the pain, horror, and sadness I feel when forced to do my own laundry; I hope it also serves to prove the  pain, horror, and sadness of being away from YOU!   Yes, YOU! 

I swear-  I haven't been laying on the couch, watching old movies on Netflix.  I promise, I haven't been wallowing in piles of patterned paper while performing obscene acts with my Cricut Expression 2.  I'm nothing but honest when I say that I haven't been squirting Glossy Accents on my body while fondling my Sizzix BigKick. 

I've been busy.  At first, I just intended to take a short break for Christmas.  Next thing I knew, I was deep in working non-stop.  I'm stage managing another play, CRIMES OF THE HEART.  It's been long hours of hard work, but the show (finally?!) opens TONIGHT.  Well, it previews tonight and officially opens tomorrow.  But you know what I mean.  After this weekend, my life will slow back down to its normal post-opening speed and I'll have more time to both craft AND blog (and work and work and work). 

In the meantime- I'll leave you with a preview of KORY K's SCRAPIVERSE VALENTINE'S DAY CARD COLLECTION.  Yes!  I've been making Valentine's at any spare minute that I can squeeze thirty seconds out of...

It's a ZOMBIE VALENTINE!!!

A bit of background:  While home, sick, on a cold gray day not too long ago-  I was looking for something to make.  I stumbled across an incredible blog about Scherenschnitte.  Have you heard of that before?  I hadn't.   But I had seen images of these incredible paper-cuts, before.  I was hooked and before long, had read through to the blog's beginnings.  And before much longer, I was printing out the sample templates to try papercutting, on my own!  I printed my first template, put a fresh blade in the Exacto and sat down at my prized giant-sized Martha Stewart self-healing cutting mat. 

About fifteen minutes later (I obviously picked the easiest looking template I could find, for my first attempt) I had a really impressive (for what was such a simple template) paper-cut.  Scherenschnitte away!  I found a much more crazily difficult template.  About two hours later, I had an amazing looking piece and I was hooked.  All I wanted to do was to sit around, slicing through paper.  But more about all that, in a dedicated post.  Dangit, I can ramble.

Anyways- The ZOMBIES template was from this wonderful blog.  I cut out a zombie.  Printed the sentiment on some white paper.  Inked the edges of everything and stuck it all together.  A pretty simple, but fun card!   Go to SCHERENSCHNITTE, and get addicted.

Soon, I'll be back with MORE VALENTINE'S DAY CARDS, more fun from the set of CRIMES OF THE HEART, my belated 2012 ROUND-UP O'FUN, and an exciting feature that will be sure to leave you breathless... as you question my sanity.

-kory k

It's Christmas Eve!

Good morning, everyone!

It's Christmas Eve! 

Aaaaaaand:  I'm at work.  Sitting in the office in a close to empty building.  Wondering why I'm here-  I'm not doing anything except 'playing.'  I've been entertaining a few coworkers with jokes and stories.  I've been designing layouts on my brand new graph-paper-pad (Thank you, STAPLES!) and a bit of coloring some images I stamped on cardstock and brought to work with me-  so all in all, it's pretty much like I'm a pre-schooler sitting in an office. 

A moment ago, I was taking a trip down memory lane in my little lounge act on a file cabinet that I perform, daily, for coworkers.  I picked up the big plastic spoon that I use as a 'microphone,' and was remembering one of my favorite Christmas presents.  I was 11 years old.  It was a PXL-2000 from Fisher Price.

Do you know what a PXL-2000 was?  It was a little movie camera made for kids.  It recorded sound AND VIDEO onto normal little audio-cassette tapes.   You do remember cassettes, right?   Well, it could record about 5 or 7 minutes worth of sound and video on a 90-minute cassette tape.  The footage came out black and white, and fairly grainy.  But to a kid, it looked amazing.  I had my own CAMCORDER! 

You gotta Google it to get the full idea, if you don't know what I'm talking about-  I just did, to see pictures of it- and wow, even seeing a picture of the BOX brought back a heap of good memories.  And now I see that the format has been 're'adopted by filmmakers, using the cameras to create weird little movies.  There's even been film festivals devoted to short films made on the little toy camera.  Oh what I'd give to still have mine!  (If I remember correctly, it finally stopped working after much, much use...)

I've gots three more Christmas cards to share, today.  I can't say I won't be back tomorrow with more Christmas cards- I've just grown so addicted to making them.  I don't know what it is...  I've never loved making Christmas cards more than I have this season.  (And I've been making Christmas cards since kindergarten, when I sat next to a kid who would try to eat all of my paste.)

Up first is the card that I made for my great friend, Carolyn.  She's such a classy lady that I tried my best to make a classy card.  I used papers from the My Mind's Eye ALL IS BRIGHT 'Accessories Pad.'  The cream and deep red background has been one of my favorite papers from this pad and I'd been dying to use it- but it was bigger than any of the card bases that I had laying around.  I didn't have the heart to cut it smaller, so I made an A7 card base with a 12X12 sheet of thick kraft cardstock.  With the matching ALL IS BRIGHT stamp set, I stamped the '12.25.' pennant with Iced Spruce Distress Ink and cut it out.  I embossed a strip of kraft cardstock (left over from cutting the card base) with the chevron border strip embossing folder from Cuttlebug.  I layed a couple of pieces cut out from other pages in the ALL IS BRIGHT pad and layered them on with the stamped pennant and topped with a brad from the 'Decorative Bads' pack. 

Normally, I don't buy SO MUCH of one set.  Yeah, I did buy nearly two complete sets of BasicGrey's CLIPPINGS, but that collection was too great to NOT buy two sets!  But it seemed as if I had the entire ALL IS BRIGHT line sitting around!  Then I remembered- when I was at the Creating Keepsakes Convention last summer, I bought a very nicely priced package of stuff, just to get the three rolls of washi tape- and it had the rest of the set in there, too!  All for 7.00! 

More KRAFT!  I'm sorry, I don't know if this love affair will ever end.  No, no- I'm NOT sorry.  I love KRAFT and I'm PROUD, dammit!!! 

I used the Studio Calico 'Wonderland Star' pattern mask and Mister Huey's 'Calico White,' to spray the star background.  Then I just picked up random scraps and layered them on-  a dictionary page label cut from a Spellbinders set, a creamy cardstock I'd once cut out with the Spellbinders 'Lacey Circles' set, a pine branch left over from using Mr. Holtz's pinecone die...  I topped it off with my favorite HAPPY HOLIDAYS stamp over a stamped light gray chevron.  (I think I love that Happy Holidays stamp so much because of the font- doesn't that look great?!)

On my third card, I couldn't resist another of my favorite stamps- the man with the crown and a circle around his eye.  I don't 'get' this stamp, but I freakin' love it...  I colored him a bit with some Distress Inks, layered on my favorite Happy Holidays (again: THAT FONT!) and two My Mind's Eye '12.25.' banner stamps.  The retro-ey looking snowflake is from QuickKutz.  When I was at Staples, yesterday, buying anything and everything that caught my eye, I stocked up on blank tags, too.  You can't beat the price- a box of 500 for 5.97?!  Yes, please and thank you!  I stamped the tag with a woodgrain stamp (Stampabilities) and distressed it a bit.  The striped paper is from 7gypsies 'Postale' collection and the light blue paper that I used as a mat is from Carta Bella. 

I'm gonna try to get a little work done-  hopefully I'll get to leave early and go home to get ready to leave for my Aunt's home, for a little family Christmas party time. 

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everyone!!!

-kory

Thanksgiving: a card and Thanksgiving wishes



I can't believe it's already time for Thanksgiving.  It doesn't feel like Thanksgiving.  Why?  Because of the warm weather (thanks, global warming!) or because I haven't had any time to make HAND TURKEYS (thanks, work) or because I just don't care much for Thanksgiving?   I don't know. 

I'll be surprised if this post even catches any views- everyone seems too busy updating their Facebook statuses with daily "I'm thankful for..." posts.  That's something I'm thankful for- those of you that've not jumped on that bandwagon.  Actually, I think I'll go update my F'book status with that and see how many people I can anger. 

No, I won't do that-  it's the holiday season and I've gotta be nice.  So how about I share a little Thanksgiving card that I whipped up during a lunch hour break on an especially stressful day at work, recently?

I am in love with that embossing folder.  It's from Tim Holtz/Sizzix, of course.  What a great frame!  I used a piece of that new embossing folder sized KraftCore paper.  How convenient is that?! 

I also used four dies (also from Tim Holtz/Sizzix) to make this card:

Tattered Leaves

Tattered Banners

Autumn Gatherings

Festive Greenery

Okay- so do you have the last two on that little list?  Autumn Gatherings and Festive Greenery?  They're both Mr Holtz's "Decorative Strip" dies.  And they're incredible.  If you don't have them- go get them.  They're so freakin' versatile.  I have too much fun cutting about fifteen strips of paper and then arranging and rearranging and playing with all of the little pieces of holiday decor fun.  If you have to choose just one, go with 'Festive Greenery.'  It includes some flourishes and different pine-y wreath-y bits of beautifulness that work wonders. 

photos from SCRAPBOOK.COM

See all those great pieces?  I love the tiny leaves and branches on the Autum Gatherings die, too. 

I'll be back, soon, with more fun!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

-kory

a present for a friend

My friend and co-worker, Bev, keeps me sane.  She listens (or reads the emails) when I'm stressed out to the point of exploding.  And she's obsessed with the band Foster The People.  So I made her a little charm to hang on something or wear on something, or whatever she comes up with:

I stamped the band's initials on a blank Vintaj blank.  They were half-price at Jo-Ann last week, so I bought a few packages.  I love metal stamping, lately.  It's fast and makes cute things.  After stamping the letters, I decided it still looked a little too plain.  So I smacked it a few times with my Tim Holtz Texture Hammer- you know- the crazily cute little hammer with the changeable texture tips?  One of my favorite buys EVER.  Well, after that- it just looked too beat up.  Oh! Wire!  So I wrapped it a few times with some wire.  Done!

Well.  Now, I hafta make a card, right?  Right.

I looked up, and my newest Daniel Torrente stamp was staring at me.  Staring at me with many eyes.

 

I colored one of the little critter's faces with a Tumbled Glass Distress Marker and stamped the asterix and 'hello' in the corner.  

But now, what do I put the charm in- the envelope?  It looks stupid just stuck in there...

Oh!  I'll make a little tiny card to go in the card, that the charm's chain can be wrapped around!

Have any of you ever seen or do you have the Tonic Studio Duo Corner Ticket/Tag Punch?  It's so cool.  You can make any old square or rectangular piece of cardstock into a tag or ticket.  I first saw it and used it at a card making class at My Heart's Fancy and had to buy one for myself.  

After punching the corners to make the card into a ticket, I stamped it with a woodgrain background stamp using Antique Linen Distress Ink.  The 'Best of the Best' sentiment is from one of the new BasicGrey 'Clippings' stamp sets from Hero Arts.  

I wrapped the charm around the ticket.  Now it looks more proper when stuck into the envelope, right?

While I was making this, I was thinking how great it is to have what is looking more and more like an entire Hobby Lobby store INSIDE my house.  If the need appears to make a little gift for someone, all I need to do is sit down and do it!

And now I'm done.  I can rest.  Watch True Blood.  And enjoy a benadryl... something is bothering my allergies and I need to sleep all night.  

Have a good start to the week, everyone!

-kory

Happy Birthday Card Party!

One of my favorite things about having a buttload* of paper and papercrafting thingamabobs is the ability to make a card at any given time.  A birthday?  I don't hafta go to the store, I just hafta haul my lazy self to my worktable.  How do the normal people survive?!

*Actual scientific papercrafting measurement.  You don't believe me?  Ask anybody in the field.   For realz.  If you're all important and you're going to be at CHA next week, just tell anybody taking a product order that you want a BUTTLOAD of that new product.  They might even throw in something free, just for impressing them with your industry knowledge.  Trust me.

So what did I get up to last night?  Well, if you paid attention to my introduction, you'll have guessed already:  I MADE CARDS!

Two!

The first, was pretty much a failure and I hated it-  so I made a second one that I was much happier with...  but, hell,  I'ma show them both!

Here's card number one:

  See what I mean?  Simple.  Plain.  I like it- but it just looks a bit too respectable.  And generic.

I just took a piece of navy cardstock that came in one of those 'Pound O'Cardstock' from Tuesday Morning (one of the few purchases I regret) and threw it onto my newest Fiskars trimmer.  Have I told you about my trimmer addiction?  I have four.  I keep buying them.  My card base was 4X51/2.  So I cut the navy card 1/4 inch shorter on top and the side, so that it would have a nice border around it- then I threw it on top of a scalloped circle Spellbinder and rolled it through the BigKick.

I took a light blue piece of Mt. Holtz's ColorCore and stamped HAPPY BIRTHDAY on it, then tied a bow with some Dollar Tree twine.

Looks boring.

I started digging through a bowl of scraps on my table.  There's a bit of everything in that bowl.

The only thing I knew was that I wanted to use some of my brand-new Cavallini 'Vintage Office' paper tape.

I kinda began the same way- by cutting a piece of kraft cardstock and ATG'ing it to my card base.  I found the postage stamp shape in my scrap bowl.  It was, at one time, cut with my Cricut from the Elegant Edges cartridge.  I found the piece of old map cardstock in the bowl, too.  I inked and distressed its edges.  I stamped HAPPY BIRTHDAY on a leftover piece of (already stamped) manila cardstock, leftover from my last layout and cut it out.  Then I taped the stuff down using the beloved Vintage Office tape.  It looked a bit plain, still, so I added a brad from the My Mind's Eye Kraft Funday brads set- I love those damn brads.

I was staring at it, and then saw the tab, which was a scrap from the last time I cut some cardstock using Mr. Holtz's 'Tiny Tabs & Tags' die.  If you don't own this die, you're obviously not serious about life.  I stamped the file tab with a side of the Dear Lizza date stamp.  Which I bought on impulse at da HobLobs and got home and thought, "I'll never use this, it looks like crap a teenage girl would say."  And it does.  But it seemed to kinda work here- maybe in contrast with the map and brown colors... I don't know.  I like it, tho.

So there ya go.  Two cards.  I've got candy to eat, thanks to a trip to 7-11.  I'll leave you with a close-up of my new card.

-kory

making cards

I had a great time last night, at the 'Man Card Class' at My Heart's Fancy.   First of all- I love this store.  So many cool things. 

I've been interested in many of their classes- but due to my busy busy schedule-  I haven't been able to go to any!  I kind of 'happened into' this class.  How?   Well, I saw the card samples on the shop's blog and commented about how I should go to the class.  So they signed me up!  This turned out to be the way to make me show up!  I got an email telling me I was going - so I went!  (It also helped that I had the night free!)

I learned an important lesson not related to papercrafting.  What is it?  It's that I should never expect to drive North on the Hefner Parkway at rush hour.  It was a living hell.  I managed to amuse myself for about twenty of my forty minutes stuck in traffic by talking on the phone. 

But I'm sure you'd much rather see the cards than hear my phone conversation recaps- so here they are!

If you're in OKC, you should take a class!  They're fun!  Buy lots of stuff!  Go home with your fingers covered in ink!  For reals, I looked like I'd fought a battle with an ink pen.

-kory

Sunday Card Day

After an uneventful weekend and a long Sunday afternoon nap- which left me extremely disoriented, I crawled to my worktable and made a card!

I was really just wanting to play with my new Spellbinders!

Yesterday, I made the drive to 'the new' Jo-Ann.  Yes, the official name of the place is 'Jo-Ann.'  Not Joann.  Not Joanne.  Not Joann'S.  Just Jo-Ann.

Am I cranky?  No.

Yes, I am cranky.  That nap was either too short or too long.  Why yes, I have been called Goldilocks before...

When I complain, everything is either too hot or too cold.  Like the weather.  Right now, it's too hot.  And I'll be complaining of that until about late November.  Possibly December.

What am I talking about?!

Jo-Ann!  'The NEW Jo-Ann!'  I love this place-  maybe because it's not as crowded as Hobby Lobby or Michaels.  I think Jo-Ann (or: "J's," as it's known in the land of scrapbook.com) is a great store.  It's always clean, the shelves are stocked, and the employees don't follow me around and bother me.  Even if I'm sitting on the floor, reading your magazines that while I will buy, I want to make sure I get the one I want THIS trip...

I'd lost my cell phone at some point between waking up and getting downstairs to the shower.  How?  I don't know.  I couldn't find it and I ended up at J's without a coupon and without my cell phone and the trusty Jo-Ann APP with a e-coupon.   I was close to frantic tears.  Especially when I spotted the set of Spellbinders that Paul at The Artsiders used to make this beautiful card.  I've never paid full price for a set of Spellbinders!  I'm also too lazy to drive home and find a coupon or my phone and drive back to Jo-Ann.  Imagine my surprise when I dragged myself up off the floor, where I was digging through a bin of dollar stamps (found a cute birdcage stamp) and made it to the cashier.  The Spellbinders 'Lacey Circles' rang up at 14.99!

I yelped like any self-respecting man in Jo-Ann and demanded they throw in a set of 'Lacey Squares,' too!

So- enough rambling.  Back to the card I made:

It's nothing groundbreaking.  I thought (hoped?) that by sitting down to make a simple card, I would suddenly be seized by a creative force and do something more substantial.  It didn't happen.

Here it is!

I used a piece of red paper from BasicGrey's Konnichiwa line, which I embossed in a Cuttlebug folder (Stylized Flowers) which I also found at Jo-Ann for two bucks.  From my sets of Spellbinders, I used one of the 'Lacey Squares' and one of the dies from Labels 5.  I think it's Labels 5, don't hold me to it...  That's one of Tim Holtz's Crown stamps, and some Frayed Burlap and Tea Dye Distress Inks all over the place.

Enjoy your Sunday evenings, everyone!  It's back to work in the morning, for me.  I think I can...I think I can...

-kory

Embossing Diffusers, or: The Most Exciting Day of My Life

Have you ever had one of those moments, when you realize that your life hasn't been lived in vain?  That moment has happened to me a few times.  The first time, it was while stage managing the rock musical, HEDWIG & THE ANGRY INCH.  The second time was today, when I discovered the EMBOSSING DIFFUSERS from Sizzix/Tim Holtz/Alterations.

You should know right away that if Mr. Holtz has allowed his should-be sainted name to be placed on a product that it's worthwhile.  Yeah, I'm a little drunk on boxes wine, so I might be going overboard.  But really.  You know true love when you see it...  whether it's in the broad sober daylight or in the dark of a nasty smoke-filled bar.  Or in your local scrap/art store.

Today was DEMO DAY at My Heart's Fancy- one of my most favorites spots in town.  I went with the lovely Darla/Chocklit Dee from Scrapbook.com.  They were demo-ing (is that a word? no, it would just be 'demonstrating,' I guess- that's another thing that can get on my nerves-  I mean, as much as I love to invent new words, I dislike it when they're co-opted by the masses, such as 'demo' for 'demolishing' thanks to HGTV).   I'm sorry, I tend to ramble a bit when I'm on the Jesus Juice (thank you, Mr. Jackson).

What the hell was I talking about?

DIFFUSERS.  EMBOSSING DIFFUSERS.

Just go out and buy them, ladies and gentlemen.

Here's mine!

See?

Now, do you get it?

If not- here's a brief and the best explanation that I can do in such circumstances.

You use the diffuser to emboss all but a part of the card.  You can emboss all but a circle, oval, or small wide oval, of the the card.  OR- you can use the inset shapes to just emboss a circle of the card.  Or an oval or a small oval.

Do you get what I'm trying to say?

Yes.  You have just multiplied all of your embossing folders by six.

This product will change the way you look at every embossing folder that you own!

Promise.   Go buy it.

Here's the card that I made at DEMO DAY.  This might give you a better idea:

And here's one that I just made, at home.  Pretty much ripping off that demo design- but using a different diffuser:

I LOVE THESE!!  

I can't wait to play with these more.  And more.  If you're into card making, it really makes a world of new ideas.

-kory

Is this my beautiful life?

If you were to guess what I hate most about Spring, you'd probably guess it's TORNADO SEASON.  But that's not the worst thing about Spring.  The worst part of Spring is:  ALLERGIES!

My head feels like it's gonna explode.  By explode, I mean EXPLODE.  BOOM!

Seriously, it hurts.  I have more sinus pain than MTV has shows about stupid pregnant tweens.

Work was a nightmare.  It lasted forever.  The only bright spot of the day was a trip to Michaels on my lunch hour.  I don't think I would've gone to Michaels if it weren't for Co-Worker Michelle wanting to go, in search of more letter stickers (I don't know how many letter stickers this woman needs, but the same could be asked about my paper collection).  Aaaaaand speaking of paper, I was thinking I could find a nifty pad of paper, since they were 1/2 off today- but only the 19.99 pads- the Tim Holtz paper packs I want (Kraft Resist and Crowded Attic) are 14.99, so they WEREN'T on sale.  So, I settled on two more packages of the Recollections Washi Tape, since it WAS on sale.  I got the brown pack, and one of the blue packs.  Bargain!

  Oh, how I would love for My Heart's Fancy to be within driving distance from the office.  I would be there every day.  Maybe that's a good thing- I'd hate to have to resort to unsavory behavior to support my rubber stamp spending habits.

And SPEAKING of My Heart's Fancy-  while I was there on Saturday, to drop off my Spring Pennants for the swap, I picked up a brand new stamp!  I had to have another stamp by Daniel Torrente.  Wanna see?

 I love these creepy, sad, but hopeful looking little guys.  I can't get enough of them!

I've been wanting to make something with this stamp since Saturday-  but you know, tornado warnings and work get in the way.  Well, they make good excuses.

I've been sitting around since I got home-  wanting to take my Nyquil and call it a day, but knowing that if I took it now, I'd pass out before 7 and be awake around 3am.  I finally talked myself into just getting up and doing something, no matter how simple or 'bad' it might turn out- just make a little card.  Because this TV show about people who catch alligators for a reason isn't that entertaining AND I started thinking: DAMMIT,  soon, I will have even less free time.  I start work on my next show in a few weeks.

Yeahp, I'm back in show business.  I'll be stage managing a new show, rehearsals start sometime around the end of April.  So, I've got to enjoy the time I have, while I have it...  I always, always say, that I'm going to take a long break between shows- but the second one closes, I'll say 'yes' to the next job that pops up.  I think it's because I like making opening night gifts so much.  I should find a picture of the cards I made for the opening night of 'Buried Child.'  I made really cute kraft cards, made my own stamp, and made necklaces for the cast- using the Tim Holtz Muse Tokens.  They turned out very cool and impressive looking-  everyone loved the words they got and I felt like such a superstar.  Oh, wait- what am I talking about?  Oh yeah- my card- wanna see it here it come!

Here's my card:

I colored him with a couple of Distress Markers, first.  I LOVE these markers- I have to say that every time I use them, because I'm amazed at how much I love them.  I've never really liked markers of any kind- but from the first time I used a Distress Marker, I was in love.  They work beautifully.  I also used a couple of colored pencils on the little guy, too- and some regular Distress Ink (Vintage Photo) on his edges.  I loved how the Vintage Photo looks on the top of his head there- it really gave him some dimension.

For the background, I ran my cardstock thru the BigKick with my newest Tim Holtz Texture Fade embossing folder.  As much as I love my BigKick- OHhhhh what I would do for a VAGABOND!  I'm jealous of all that have one- but if you don't- have you ever seen it in use?!  I saw someone using one at a local shop, and I couldn't close my mouth.  Amazing machine.

And HOW cool is this Bubble Wrap embossing folder?!?!   I colored it with a handful of Distress Inks-  some Wild Honey, some Frayed Burlap, Broken China, Victorian Velvet, Walnut Stain, Vintage Photo.  Just rubbed them all in and misted with water-

Then, I cut his arm so I couple pull it up- glued him down, then added the word 'Smile' from the new ChitChat word stickers.  

Well, that's it for the day.  I've got to rest.  I'm old.

If you really want to see some beautiful work, you've gotta check out Frank's HAUS OF W and Paul's THE ARTSIDERS.   Seriously, go look, it's beautiful.

-kory

Washi Tape from TARGET and a few cards to celebrate!

Sure enough- the smart 'n classy ladies over at the scrapbook.com forum weren't tellin' lies!   TARGET has washi tape!

I ran over to Target so soon after work that I'm lucky I didn't break my ankle.   A slight delay on my rush to the office supply aisle when I was distracted by the SMASHBOOK aisle.  Yes, I just had to look- JUST IN CASE they had the new Smash Tape in-  have you seen that new tape?  Whoa, it's sexy.

Alright, what is it with tape?  Why do I love it so much?  Is it the color?  Is it the pattern?  Is it the informal fun of it?  WHAAAAT?!  I don't know.  We'll explore that over cocktails some dark night.

Yes, you did read correctly- Target put the tape in the office supply aisle.  It's with their colorful collection of office supplies.  Here's what the display look-a-like:

That's it on the first shelf below all the hanging things.  There's red/pink, orangey/yellow, blue/purpley, and green/green...ish?

Here it is- unwrapped from its packing and lovingly lined up on my stained-up craft mat, with one of my stained and chopped up cutting boards in the background.  I really know how to stage a photo.

The tape comes four rolls to a pack, for four bucks.  That makes it a dollar a roll.  That makes it a damn bargain.

After Target, I ran to Wal-Mart, to look for the Elmer's washi tape.  Couldn't find it.  Looked everywhere.  Gave up.  Headed back home.  Stopped at 7-11, to get a soda.  Saw two old men doing a drug deal.  They noticed me watching them, and said, 'C'mon! Let's do this outside!'  They gave me a dirty look.  I laughed about it with the cashier.  I went home and made cards.

I'm going to need some thank you cards, tomorrow- two of my coworkers are hosting an Easter basket-making 'make n take' class, at work, tomorrow- it was limited to four sittings and since they kindly gave me a heads up to sign up fast, AND cuz it's a fun, nice thing to do- I'll need to give them some thank yous later!  Yeah- I have tomorrow off, but I'm going in to make my Easter basket with my boss! 

Yes, I have a huge box full of pre-made thank you cards (they're very important in my profession, and I love to write thank you cards- so I have millions, ready to go).  But I love making cards!  I sat down with my new rolls of tape, some stamps from AMERICAN CRAFTS that I love, and - well, wanna see them?!  Here they are!

Card Number ONE!  A spray of Mister Huey's, a line of tape, a stamp or two and SURPRISE!  A card.

Card Number TWO!  This one is my favorite.  I really like it-  I used a light blue paint chip to stamp the THANK YOU on-  taped it to the card with my favorite of the tapes- this light blue stripe, and used this nifty 'lines' stamp on the sides.  I'm really happy with this one.

Card Number THREE!  Wait, what?!  I thought I was making THANK YOU cards?!  Well, I was.  But this Happy Birthday stamp caught my eye, and I wanted to try it out.  Sprayed some Heirloom Blue MISTER HUEYS (dammit I love this stuff!) then sprayed it with the Calico White.  Glued on one of the doilies I'd stamped and cut out, during my October Afternoon Doily Stamp orgy from a few weeks back, slapped on two pieces of my new tape, and used a thick foam dot to attach the HAPPY BIRTHDAY stamp.  I'm liking this card lots too-  now I just gotta find someone who's having a birthday.

Alright.  Gonna go to sleep.  Gonna wake up, hit up JOANN's, go into the office for my coworker's EASTER BASKET MAKE N TAKE LUNCH HOUR PARTY (I'll take pictures!  I'm sure you're all curious as to what kind of place has make 'n takes and what the hell it'll look like) and THEN I'm gonna try to find some summer clothes!  I NEED CLOTHES.  

See ya!

-kory

Friday Eve! Time to make a card!

It's Thursday night- what a better night to sit down and make a card with your brand new Graphic 45 stamps?

Even though it's only Friday Eve, I've already got a bad bad case of Friday Fever.  I'm already having trouble sitting still and it's not even Friday and I'm not even at work.

I had big dreams of doing a layout tonight.  But like many big dreams, it died a horrible death.

So I made a card!

This is what I started with-  those new stamps from Graphic 45's Olde Curiosity Shoppe line.  Aren't these little bottles kick ass?  I bought them while at the BasicGrey class on Tuesday night, remember?  I used those little letter stamps from the dollar bin at Michaels, too- 

See?  I used the letter stamps to turn it into a little liquor bottle!  The set comes with various small stamps you can use to label the bottles, but none of them were as cool as the bottles!  I was excited when I found my sets of letter stamps.  I don't drink gin, I drink vodka.  But 'gin' is a shorter word and I'm lazy.

I kept it very monochrome.  I embossed the piece on the back with a folder from the Sizzix 'Figgy Pudding' set, and very lightly edged it with some Walnut Stain Distress Ink.  The card under the bottle, I edged using the Walnut Stain Distress Marker-  these work GREAT to quickly put a faint line on the edge of a piece of card!  Just drag it across and BANG- classy card.  I also used foam dots under the bottle for some dimension amongst all the kraft, but it didn't translate well in the photo.  

I thought this would make a nice invitation for a night of drinks.  Because I'm sure all of you are like me, and when you want to invite someone out to drinks, you send them a nice card with a bottle on the front. 

I hope you aren't getting bored of kraft, cuz I'm not-  I just might start a new blog called "Kory's Kraft-y Kingdom."  No, maybe it should be a video blog, and I narrate the entire thing in monotone Rick Steves PBS travel show style.  Have you ever watched this guy?  I seem to catch his show often, while waiting for Lawrence Welk to come on-  oh, you didn't know that I like Lawrence Welk?  I don't really-  only when they do production numbers.  I appreciate the insanity of it.

Well, as Holly's Mom says, "I'm gonna make like a baby and head out."   See ya, people.

-kory

I used the stamp! I'm SERIOUS!

The time change has beaten me within an inch of my life.  It's not even been 48 hours and I still don't see how I'll survive.  I woke at 7- confused and feeling like a newborn kitten.  Closed eyes and all.  I dragged myself into the shower and then dragged myself to work.  On my third cup of coffee and still no light at the end of the tunnel. 

To cheer myself up, let us all just take a moment to admire this piece of wonder and beauty that is this stamp from Catslife Press.

Remember this beauty?  Of course ya do!  Alright- so I didn't think anybody would even reply with any ideas for what to make with this stamp when I posted that entry before running out the door for Friday night cocktails.  So what a surprise it was to read all your comments!

I did consider each one.  Promise.  Except for Paul's 'tramp stamp' idea.  That's one trashy thing I will never do...  Which is saying lots, because if I can think of something that sounds trashy, I'll do it.  Nevermind, I'm not going to lie- I did consider Paul's idea.  I just didn't do it because I don't have any Staz-On.  Yes, really, I don't have any Staz-On.

One comment 'spoke' to me (wrote to me?) and here's the one I went with:

DARLA said: Great stamp, Kory! I think it would be super for a birthday card (maybe I just have birthday on the brain right now, lol), but this on the front, then on the inside it could have the birthday sentiment. Would also work for anniversary or thank you card. The possibilities are endless!


Yeah!  I AM needing a birthday card, for a friend, this week- and I LOVE making cards! 


After much, much, much playing around and experimenting and different ideas and a movie on Netflix about a tire that rolls around the desert, murdering people, I made the card.  Oh yeah, you read that right- a TIRE that kills people.  Yes, A TIRE.  A CAR TIRE.  NO, not attached to a car, JUST A TIRE.  THAT KILLS.  I don't recommend the movie.  But here's the card!

After stamping the serious guy onto a white card, I cut out the square and used Memory Foil Tape around it- I thought it gave it a cool look.  And that stuff is sticky.  I had trouble keeping it from sticking to my fingers, the table, itself...  It was my first time to use this foil tape- I don't even remember buying it.  I love it, I can't wait to use it more!  I felt it really gives a 'purposeful' look. 

Next, I started the card with a base of kraft cardstock.  Big surprise there, huh?  I'm sorry!  I love this cardstock.  I embossed a sheet of thin plastic that was part of the packing of a set of stamps.  I used Mr. Holtz's Dot Matrix Texture Fade embossing folder.  My definite favorite  embossing folder.  At the moment.  It's just cool, isn't it?  After embossing the plastic, I rubbed some white paint on it with my fingers.  I love how plastic looks when embossed.  I'm doing it lots lately.  Instead of tearing packaging to pieces in my toddler-style attempts to open stuff, I'm now carefully opening or cutting it open, so that I have the packaging more or less intact and ready to be used for something else.  No, I'm not going all Mother Nature on you- but it is good to recycle.  And it's like getting stuff free.  And FREE is my second favorite four letter 'F' word.

The white card is torn out of a book of "ATC Blanks" that I found at Michaels for 99 cents.  It's really nice thick Bristol board.  The smooth texture of the Bristol board is perfect to stamp on -  the clock stamp is from 7 Gypsies.  I inked the edges with Walnut Stain Distress Ink.  I used a piece of punchinella to stencil some Broken China Distress Ink onto the card.  Then I used my Tiny Attacher to attach the 'ribbon' that I made earlier by stamping on plain muslin.  I thought the numbers went perfect for what's inside:

Yeahp!  I had to use my Dymo Lablemaker again!

So what about the prize?  I've been keeping my eyes out for 'prizes' for a little while, now- Anytime I'm out shopping and I see something that I think is cool but not necessarily my taste, I buy it and put it in the 'prize fund.'  Hahaha.   Here's the prize!

A set of "Dear Lizzy" Thickers from American Crafts!
A set of Valentine's stamps.  
AND- a blank chipboard book from Maya Road in the shape of a birdcage!  I saw it and thought it was pretty damn cool, but not my style.  But I still thought it was cool enough to buy.  


So, Darla, email me at thekory@aol.com and tell me where to send your prize!

Happy Monday, everybody- well, as happy as it can get.  Have a good week!

-kory

Saturday Happ'nins

I had a ton of trouble waking up, today.  I had crazy dreams of wake up and being fully functional before 9AM.

Well, that didn't happen...

I did wake up for a few moments at 8AM, to a phone call from Holly, who told me that she was already up and awake and at ACE Hardware, to get her free quart of paint, to paint a dresser she'd found at Goodwill a few days ago.  I guess it was free quart of paint day. I think I said something like, "Momma.  Get paint for Daddy."  And then I hung up and went back to sleep.

I eventually made it to consciousness.  And showered-ness.  AND THEN IT WAS TIME TO BUY STAMPS.

I don't know what it is- but I can't get enough stamps.  Not only are they fun, but they look good.  Don't stamps look good sitting on a shelf?  Or hell, don't stamps look good jumbled up in a box?

I went to My Hearts Fancy, the home of the coolest stamps in town.  I had my eye on a stamp I saw last week.  And I bought that stamp.  But it's not the stamp I'm showing you, tonight.  I'm saving it for tomorrow.  Tonight, I'm showing you a different stamp.  But it's just as cool.

I don't know what the stamp is called, I'm lazy and a little drunk and not in the mood to even research it- but here it is, people, feast your eyes on this damn beauty: ((Before clicking PUBLISH, I decided to look it up and he's called "SMILE". You can find out more about him HERE.))

Isn't he cute?  He reminds me of myself, as a child.  Yeah, cute.

While the very classy owner of the shop was ringing up a very random selection of items, she told me of something she'd seen done with another one of these stamps-  the head cut in two and positioned so that it looked like it was 'talking' or spitting out words.  Well, this sounded so cool and fun that I ran home and tried it out!

I used Mr. Holtz's 'Gridlock' Texture Fade with my Sizzix BigKick to emboss a 5X5 piece of kraft cardstock from the classy Jo-Ann, and my Magnetic Poetry Word Stamps.  I found them at HALF PRICE BOOKS.  Nearly 100 word stamps for six bucks.  Check your local Half Price Books, or look online- they have several sets, and they are very worth it- I love these!  I  rubbed the embossed card with some Tea Dye and Walnut Stain- and I colored the little guy with one of my BRAND NEW DISTRESS MARKERS and also some regular Scattered Straw Distress Ink, using a Tsukineko Fantastix Coloring Tool Brush Point.  I pushed it on the ink pad, pushed it on a water droplet that I'd sprayed on my Craft Sheet.  You can't tell from the photo, or maybe you can, but some of the words are 'flat' and some I attached with some foam tape.

Alright- I'm off to drink another classy glass of wine fresh from its classy box that it's calling from and then, I'm gonna play with my stamps.  Yes, the nightclubs are calling, too.  I might be back with more fun, but then again- I might end up at a bar.  Who can say?

-kory

Tuesday With A Vengeance

Yeahp.  Tuesday damn near killed me.  I don't want to complain.  But I will.  I am cursed with a face that looks younger than my age.  It's definitely catching up, the hard life I've lived is starting to show through the cracks- but still, I don't really look my age.  Believe me, it was much worse.  When I was sixteen, I looked maybe ELEVEN.  My younger brother, who had a freakin' BEARD and a foot-tall mohawk when he was FOURTEEN used to have to go up to the box office to buy tickets for rated-R movies because they wouldn't sell them to me.  To ME, the person who DROVE us to the movie theatre.  I had to hid around the corner, behind the bush, while he bought the tickets for The Rocky Horror Picture Show every Saturday night at midnight.  Anybody else remember doing that?  Not hiding behind bushes while your younger brother bought the tickets, but going to Rocky Horror at Midnight?  I digress.  What I was getting to is that because I look/sound younger- it can be a struggle to get people to take me seriously.  I can't tell you how many times I am talked down to at work by people who don't know me/are unaware of my awesome work skills.  As I was TODAY.  Which put me in a bad mood.   DISCLAIMER:  When I say something like 'my awesome work skillz,' or talk about 'how cool I am,'  -trust me, I am just being funny.  I am not some crazed conceited d-bag.  Alright- with that disclaimer out there, let's get down to bidness, before I send more people running for the 'back' button, screaming 'I CAME HERE TO SEE SOME PAPERCRAFTING GENIUS NOT TO BE THIS GUY'S THERAPIST!'

With a tough day at work, what am I to do but use my lunch hour to run up to PAPER CROWN and see what was in the new shipments she mentioned on her blog yesterday?  No new Tim Holtz, but I did find a few things- a set of Prima stamps that I bought because one was a little bug.  A bee, I think.  Or is it a fly?

photo from scrapbook.com - click to buy!

What is THAT?  As soon as I want to say it's a fly, its butt makes me want to say it's a bee.   I think I like every one of these tiny stamps.  Yes, they are tiny.  And perfect for fitting into little spaces that need a little bee.  Or a fly.  And they cost two bucks.  Well, I love all of them except for the the 'love' on the little stamp.  It would've been perfect if it didn't say 'love!'  By the way- have I ever expressed my distaste for those 'Live Laugh Love' signs?  They do to home decor as Thomas Kinkade does to art.  Oh I hate the LIVE LAUGH LOVE signs.  Don't get me started.  And my sincerest apologies to all of you that have a LIVE LAUGH LOVE sign hanging in your living room.  I mean no more offense than that sign.  

;-)

So there I am, staggering around Paper Crown, trying to decide if should hurry back to work or if I should fake a flat tire so I can go home and play, I get distracted by paper.  Being distracted by paper is a wonderful thing, isn't it?  I grabbed some new My Mind's Eye, and some of the 'Boys Life' papers from Echo Park.  Wow, dat's some purty paper.

I also got these nifty stamps from OCTOBER AFTERNOON:

These caught my eye because of the doily shapes.  Ever since watching the great DREW SCOTT's live Prima class last week, I've wanted some doily stamps.  I loved the way they looked, stamped with brown ink, on that layout he did... and now, I've got some doily stamps!  I also love the 'this book belongs to' stamp AND the two silhouettes.  They key isn't bad, but I have more key stamps than I have vintage typewriter stamps.  How about a round of applause for OCTOBER AFTERNOON, ladies and gentlemen?!  I love you, OA.  

I also got these very cool retro travel inspired cards, from GLITZ's 'Happy Travels' collection!  I love anything having to do with travel - did you know that I was a travel agent for a little over six years?  Remember.  There might be a test, one day.

I can't wait to find a way to use these cards!

The rest of the day at work, I was planning on coming home to scrap a layout using my favorite old photo of my parents.  But when I got home, I YET AGAIN felt too lazy/technologically challenged to attempt messing with the printer... so I decided it was time to make another card.  

I forget WHERE I saw (in person) one of the 'Tri-Fold Shutter Cards.'  And that 'A Boy's Life' paper was sitting on table, winkin' at me and showin' a little leg...DAAAAMN!  I had to put that paper to work!  

I used some postage stamp lookin' paper tape from 7 Gypsies and more of my beloved die cuts from K & COMPANY, that I picked up while, um, grocery shopping at Wal-Mart.  It's a big bag of very cool looking vintage cards and bits- I need another bag!  That little 'Howdy' card, with the horse, is almost cooler than I am, for Gawd's sake!

See what I mean about that little 'Howdy' card?!  Coolness.

This is a close up of another one of the K&CO die cut cards- I thought it would be cool to circle the date and write the month and year info when I give this card to someone.  Those are the tiny staples from Mr. Holtz's tiny attacher, there, too.  Any excuse to use that damn treasure!

Well, making cards can wear a fella out.  I'm done for...

I hope everyone had a great creative day!  I'm working on some exciting things for my blog, so I hope y'all keep coming back.  What exciting things?  Some PRIZES and some VIDEO!  Don't get too excited about the prizes- this ain't no big classy blog.  But I can promise it'll be somethin' cool- cuz I'm cool like dat.  And video?  Yeahp.  I've been practicing a big opening number every time I jump into my truck to drive somewhere.  

-kory