Shoebox Swap Mix Up

I had a professor at Teachers' College who started off his lecture on Special Education by not showing up -- the next day, he claimed he had a Temporal Displacement Disability (always in the wrong place at the wrong time). I can relate, only mine has more to do with overlap. I forget that there's something happening (say, Commencement) and commit to do a Shoebox Swap for Regionals.

Well, Freud would have a comment, I am sure, about what I WANT to do conflicting with what I HAVE to do. Me -- I blame my bad memory.

So here is the card I was going to do for the Shoebox Swap!

The base is Very Vanilla, with a Chocolate Chip panel. Each of the small Very Vanilla panels was stamped with Certainly Celery, and the edges were sponged with the same. The salutation was stamped with Chocolate Chip and mounted on Certainly Celery. A ribbon of Certainly Celery wraps the middle. The stamps are Charming and Whimsical Words.

Red Rose

This card uses a long-time favourite: Fifth Avenue Floral by Stampin' Up. My friend Christine kindly lent me her set. I stamped and embossed 3 roses. I fussy-cut all three, with each one getting a little smaller than the previous. I built up the rose again, using pop dots. A punched branch, some designer paper and -- another thankyou card for my Card Challenge!

Exchanging my Art

Years ago, when I sang in a few choirs and took singing lessons, I decided I was "too shy" to perform. My instructor said, "Why did you join this choir if not to share your music with anyone?"

I think of that when I feel "too shy" to share my art with others. Creating art is a type of performance, just as singing is. I can make my art, just for me, and be happy doing it. But then I get lazy and stop producing. After all, the only person waiting to see it is me! However, if I make a promise to someone to give them an ATC or a twinchie, then I have to follow through.

I participate in exchanges because I think it is good for me. It forces me to create and produce.

My participate mostly in two forums for exchanges: Splitcoast Stampers and Quietfire Designs. Both yield good quality art, especially the PAT (Pick a Theme) exchanges. But frankly, I don't care about what I GET: it is what I GIVE that I care about.

Here's a card that I created this summer for exchanging. This card was used twice: I submitted it to Quietfire Designs for the Die Cuts: Inside/Outside challenge, and for the "Make Mine Vintage" exchange on Splitcoast Stampers.

The cage is a Tim Holtz die cut from SU Sage Shadow, swiped with Basic Black (looks like Black with verdigris, doesn't it?). The bird is an SU punch, edged with SU Creamy Caramel craft ink, and punched from an old copy of Jane Eyre. The flower garland comes from SU's Friends 24/7 stamp set, which I coloured with chalks. The sentiment is from Quietfire Designs (she does all the calligraphy for her stamps herself). The background is rubbed with Creamy Caramel and Soft Suede (both from SU), sprayed with water, and then stamped with SU's Itty Bitty Backgrounds and Soft Suede ink.

The Card Challenge - Part II

Some of my cards which I made to donate to the Cancer treatment center.

The Card Challenge

I have been accompanying my dear friend/sister to her cancer treatments. The hospital is so kind and thoughtful! Volunteers drop off knitted, crocheted and sewn hats, and the hospital helpers hand them out to every patient. Louise has an extensive wardrobe of them now.

Well, I sew and knit, but what I really like to do is make cards. So, for her last visit, I made 4 cards of 10 styles of Thank you cards. The volunteers seemed very pleased with them, and so, I am preparing another 40 cards for this visit. It's a great way to use up my stash and justify buying more! I have named it (very imaginatively) "The Card Challenge".

I urge you to do something similar for the health centre in your community. It is shocking to see how many people receive treatment in a day. Then times that by 5 day, then 52 weeks -- and that is just one community! And only adults -- there is a separate hospital for children with cancer. Staggering. Anything you can do to ease the life of these people is time well spent.

The New Studio - addition

I recently acquired a Scor-it tool, and a new paper cutter. But I had to use them on the floor or a chair or the spare bed because I had no proper place. So, I have rearranged some of my shelf contents, and now have 3 work surfaces: one shelf has the trimmer and the Scor-it. The centre table is a drafting table that I stamp on, and the 3rd shelf holds my Big Shot.

And now that my work moves so smoothly, I am able to create this card for my friend Louise's birthday!

The New Studio

Over a period of a very fast week, I: emptied my oldest son's bedroom, primed, painted, painted again, painted trim, painted that again, moved in my shelves full of "stuff", set up a bed, and cleaned up the room I used to be in. Whew! But you know, it was just the thing to do. I had been feeling blocked artistically. Doing something that is not art, but still serving my art freed me up. That, and cleaning up my junk, because I got inspired all over again.

So, when stuck, redecorate?

Top three photos: My old space, with my crowded desk. No matter how much I clean up, I seem to only ever have 6" worth of space for work!
Last two photos: The room was a deep tropical turquoise. I wanted robin's egg blue. The colour I chose wasn't quite right, so I added some black acrylic paint to grunge it up. Good, but now too green. So, some phthalo blue jumped in the mix. I am happy with the result, but will never be able to do touch ups! The trim is a creamy caramel.
I'm still using my old Ikea Ivar shelving. Holds a ton o' stuff, is inexpensive, and can be packed up if necessary.