JUNE: Summer Leisure or Time to Re-Organize you Stash

It is wonderful to take a break and enjoy some downtime. Most of May was spent on some type of deadline. Maybe that's why we need some leisure time away-- deadlines are called that because they will kill you!

 

 

Garry and I took a break to see family, spend some time with them in the heart of Smith Mountain Lake,near the Roanoke area of Huddleston, VA. www.smithmountainlakerentals.com/utopia)
All You see is this wonderful lake water beneath you and the sky above. It is lovely. Click on their link.
We didn't stop making cards--- we made some Hero cards for OWH (Operation Write Home.org) and had fun sailing and fishing.

This photo was great! Did you ever wonder what to do with those old  blurry photos? Well, I can get inspiration from it and  do a Father's Day card. Now you have a new purpose for them.

I took some time to make three cards with one of our CMC partners, Marie, and using one of the OWH sketches # 85... we went to work.
The three design elements were used, a pair of scissors, a picture, a "bird's foot" ribbon tag in the center and a wish inside for Dad to have a wonderful Father's Day.

                  ----------Or
perhaps you might like a 'digi' that is: a downloaded image from one of the on-line sources, such as this one: pinterest or other photo sites.
  Most of the design owners  have some restrictions on their usage, but seldom do they restrict for a person from a private use for your own cards.
The ruling on sales and duplication is up to the owner of the property( picture, digi, stamped image or other) They usually have something in place on their web page called an ANGEL POLICY--- you can find it somewhere on the footer of their page. Be careful to heed their wishes on this policy, it has the same penalty as violating a copyright if you don't.

Most of our original work is not yet available through our blogspot. We  borrowed  our sketches and design ideas for this media from OWH. Our intent is to help others learn to make cards for this organization and thus we are a non-profit organization ourselves.
               Speaking of Organization---the other kind.
One new idea I have for all us "newbies" in the field of stamping with clear acrylic stamps is get a CD jacket or case. Place the stamps from one design or theme in a case. They stay neat and safe; the small pieces you will want later will be right there. CD cases?Who knew?

I have my Christmas acrylic stamps in a red CD case, Easter in a purple, green are spring stamps and their sentiments. Yellow ones for Memorial Day on into summer and clear cases for other occasions.

I did get a comment on what do you do with scraps... how big a scrap to you keep or toss out? OK my rule of thumb is keep a scrap that is bigger than your smallest die cut---/ can be used in a collective design like this one. We used 3--- 1 1/2"x2" scraps and one--- 1 1/2"x 4" panel with a piece of twine, some buttons and our sentiment directly stamped to the card stock.

Have fun going through all your scraps ( under a shade tree, with a glass of fresh squeezed lemonade in hand, and organizing your clear stamps in cases.
AND
Happy Father's Day to all the supportive, wonderful men who make cards and all those who support our habit!
Have a Great Month--Gloria J.