Love Notes

I've been wanting to create homemade cards for a while but dreaded dragging out all of the art supplies. I finally did this around the middle of December on a mellow weekend.  I watched some Christmas Movies (or rather listened to them while I created).  To help motivate me I got a couple of art related books from the library and got inspired.

I'd been spending quite a bit of money on cards to send to my boyfriend since we have a long distance relationship. While they were beautiful cards I also wanted to have even more meaning behind them by making some of my own.  I ended up creating a bunch of cards that I can mail to him randomly to surprise him.  See them below...

Stampin' Up

While at my neighborhood art festival this September I won a free $20 gift card to this Stampin' Up card making class. The classes are held on one Tues. and one Thurs. night a month. It's taken me up until now to find a free day to go but I made it.  I took the Creative Tuesday class but really want to and plan to try out the Technique Geek Thursday class (in Dec.).  Here's the class information: http://stampinwithnicole.com/.  The classes are held in a large room in a local church right in my neighborhood so that was convenient.  Believe it or not there are a ton of women (maybe men too but not the night I went) who go to these classes each month. There are regulars!

It wasn't quite what I thought. I made two different types of cards and you basically get the supplies in a bag when you get there, go to a table where there are instructions and a sample of the first card design your making and then you just make it at your own pace.  There were a lot of instructors around to ask for help if you needed it or I found a great way to interact and meet people was to ask them for help.  Boy, stampin' up is a whole other world.  They have pressing machines and cutters, special glue dots, puffy adhesive, and the list goes on. There is also apparently an entire stampin' up lingo that kept throwing me off.

Needless to say I enjoyed creating and trying something new. Plus I made something I will get to use over the holidays and winter.  Now I want to try the technique thursday class because you learn all kinds of techniques for card making but I believe I can apply it all to mixed media work also.  I'm scheduled for December and will keep you posted!  Below are my creations!

Homemade Cards

I'm currently taking a 6 week community art class through Genesee Center for the Arts & Education. Check out their site: http://www.geneseearts.org/ The class I'm taking is

Collage: Mail Art. It's a blast! I'm learning new creative transfer techniques, get to explore with no grades or stress involved and I'm meeting new people. What could be better!

I received the tools I need to create transfers on my own for my birthday. This is all you need to do a pretty good transfer.

-tape

-scissors

-fresh black and white or colored images/words printed from a laser printer (not an

inkjet!) and (remember if you use anything with words you need to reverse the image before printing or your words will transfer backwards). **Best transfers are images printed within 1-2 days of when you will be using them.

-bone folder or something to burnish with (like a coin)

-"blender pen"- this brand works the best- Chartpak Blender Marker P-O. Not found at craft stores. Here we have The Art Store and Hyatt Art Materials or you can find it on amazon but the shipping is expensive. About 4.50 for the marker itself.

I found these great packages of blank cards with envelopes; all different shapes, colors and sizes for $1 for a pack of 8! I've decided for Christmas gifts I'm going to use these for gifts and bundle each set with a pretty ribbon. Right now they are just the transfer image. I'm still taking the class and I'm going to be learning some stamping and other neat techniques that I may later add to the cards. Also, I'm still working on some of the images and might do some over laying of words or other images on some. Check out the beginning of my collection sets. :)

The Vintage Collection

The Landscape Collection

The Inspiration Collection