DEAR PAPERLICIOUS: November 2020

Nov 27, 2020

Card Making and SAT Scores

Note: I'm reposting this, updated, from 2014. Still rings true to me.

Card Making and SAT scores

A stamper wrote that she enters a lot of challenges and never wins. Her attempts to get on design teams have failed. She buys a lot from a couple of companies hoping to get the companies' attention. They have ignored her efforts. She is crushed and angry and clueless as to why this is happening.

I read this and winced.

We all wince when we recognize that feeling -- failure is hard. It is even harder when you have no idea why you are being rejected. No one posts a comment that says "no focal point" "messy layers" "too many colors". We are nice to each other in internet land, and that is as it should be. So it is hard to learn unless we are willing to ask. Asking means taking a risk.

However, once I did ask.

It was the practice in my high school to go to the principal and share your SAT scores with her. I knocked on Sr. Ellen's door and walked in. My scores were mediocre, and I was unhappy, particularly since I was a strong student in an academically rigorous high school. I wanted to know why my scores weren't higher. Not skipping a beat, Sr. Ellen looked me in the eye and told me that I wasn't very smart -- that my good grades were the result of my hard work, not my native intelligence. She did not say this with admiration -- almost pity.

I left her office stunned. I remember thinking "I thought I was smart but I'm not."

Turns out that you do not need a high SAT score to live a good life; indeed there is a lot of evidence that SAT scores don't accurately reflect achievement. But even if they did -- even if being on a design team reflects skill and talent, is it worth the angst?

So here's my message to the stamper who feels the stun of rejection or failure. Maybe you are like I am. I've never been the best in the room at anything I've ever tried. I've always been surrounded by better lawyers, better cooks, better housekeepers. I'm not the star anything.

But even with my limitations, my humanity, I've succeeded when it really mattered -- in my heart I know that I have loved and am loved. The rest, including card making and design teams and SAT scores and blunt principals, is gravy.

So, if you can find it in yourself to enjoy stamping without that definition of "winning," pick up that ink pad and stamp. And relax and enjoy it. Smile. And smile again and again, knowing that you are doing something you enjoy. And if you still yearn to do design work, ask yourself why and if you are happy with the answer, change things up. Reach out and ask folks for ideas on how to improve.

Sometimes mixing a hobby with competition just doesn't work. Not everyone gets an 800 or even a 500 in card making. But everyone can get get an 800 in sending a card to a friend or a stranger, knowing that it will bring a smile to that person.

You be the judge on who the winner is in that competition.

Nov 23, 2020

Joyful and Festive Mugs on The Foiled Fox Blog

Hello, I'm on the Foiled Fox blog today sharing this card and talking about how I made it.

Hope you check it out!

Disclosure: The Foiled Fox sent this stamp set and die to me. I am not an affiliate and receive nothing else for working with it. I highly recommend shopping at The Foiled Fox -- I am a regular paying customer as well as an occasional guest designer! Fast shipping and the owner is a good person!

MOOD WHEN DONE: Great!

Reverse Confetti: Yuletide Mouse, Grid Style

These mice, from Reverse Confetti's Yuletime Mice are pretty darn cute. Rather than try and make a scene, or color them the traditional way, I changed things up a bit.

1. Swipe come pink, red, and cranberry inks on white cardstock. Stamp images in black.

2. Die cut the images using a square die. If you don't wait, the black ink may smear. I used Versafine Onyx, and while it didn't smear, it transferred black ink onto my die cut plate. So -- either wait until totally dry or use typing paper as a shim to protect your plate.

3. Fiddle and arrange until happy and pop up with foam tape.

4. Add white Nuvo drops to brighten it up.

5. Adhere with foam tape to a cranberry card.

6. Emboss sentiment from Yuletide Mice on black cardstock and adhere.

MOOD WHEN DONE: Happy!

Nov 21, 2020

Reverse Confetti: Thankful For You Sale

Big sale, and here are a few of my Reverse Confetti favorites.

Plaid Line Big Confetti Cuts

(Reverse Confetti makes a ton of cover plates that make my geometric heart happy!)

Plaid Lines Small Confetti Cuts

This Says It All

(love the slightly wonky font)

Linked Circles Cover Panel

I could go on, but you get the point! Happy Shopping....

Nov 19, 2020

Flora and Fauna Wreath Cards

As soon as I saw the Oh Christmas Tree stamp and die bundle by Flora and Fauna, I placed an order. I think it was this cute bow that got me. Love this company's products!

For this card, I took a rectangle stencil and placed it over an A2 card and just rubbed an ink cube to create a "door" for the wreath to hang. Added the bow from the set and a sentiment from Santa's List from Ellen Hutson and a few gems.

I liked how it came out, so I made another.

Very similar, but changing the stencil and colors gives a softer look. Here I used the Salvaged Brick stencil from Honey Bee Stamps. This cute wonky Joy is part of the Oh Christmas Tree set. The other change I made was to trim the A2 card so that it was only 4 inches wide. I like the slightly narrower look.

MOOD WHEN DONE: Loved making these cards, so I'm happy about that!

Man, what a rough year. No complaints, just yearning for better times for everyone. Grateful to be able to escape into stamping.

Nov 16, 2020

Reverse Confetti Stock Your Stash Challenge

November's Reverse Confetti challenge theme is Holiday and Winter cards -- details below. So I turned to my favorite RC products from the November release: Plaid Lines Small and Plaid Lines Big Cover Plates.

Decided that we can pretty much make a tree out of anything!

1. Cut the Plaid Lines Small plate with a light green cardstock. Ditto with the Plaid Lines Big with dark green cardstock.

2. If your paper cutter will cut through 2 layers, adhere both plaids together, find the center top point and cut out a triangle. Otherwise, do what I did and cut the layers first and then adhere them together using liquid glue.

3. Make an A2 side fold card and adhere the "tree" with foam tape.

4. Stamp and trim a sentiment from Yuletide Mice (love that font!). Adhere with more foam tape.

5. Add light blue gems.

6. Sit back and agree not to tell non stampers how you made it!

CHALLENGE DETAILS

The Stock Your Stash link list is open from November 1st until noon CST on November the 28th. Click the "Play To Win" button on the Reverse Confetti blog sidebar to enter your card.
Reverse Confetti stamps and/or Confetti Cuts are required to win. This is a way for Reverse Confetti to thank their customers for using their stamps.
You may enter as many times as you wish.
Use #SYSChallenge when posting on social media for this challenge.
There will be a random winner selected each month and that person will receive a $20 gift certificate to the Reverse Confetti store.
The winner of challenge will be posted on the Reverse Confetti blog at the end of the month.

MOOD WHEN DONE: Had a blast making this card and that's what it is about, right?

Nov 8, 2020

Reverse Confetti Release Day Blog Hop

All of the new Reverse Confetti products are available today! And we are celebrating with a blog hop. You should have arrived from the talented Lisa Henke.

I'm sharing 2 cards today -- and they are my favorites for this release.

AWAY IN THE MANGER

There are 2 dies in Away in the Manger, but they pack a punch. Wanted to use a lot of these stars, so this is an A6 card (4 and 1/8 x 5 and 7/8).

Paired the star die with part (yes, I cut the stamp) of a sentiment from The Best Gift of All.

PLAID LINES SMALL

This cover plate is another fun, graphic plate and I've already seen beautiful cards using it as a background layer. I decided to use it as the focus of the card -- the colors and "ornaments" suggest a holiday card. I love this style, but it may not be for everyone.

Since this card is a little unusual, here are the steps to make it.

1. Trim a piece of white cardstock to A2 size.

2. Die cut circles out of the white copy paper to make room for the green and red circles.

3. Die cut green and red circles and place (don't permanently adhere) in the the white cardstock base.

4. Die cut panel with Plaid Lines Small. Remove all the die cut squares and rectangles and set aside.

5. Trim panel to 4" x 5 and 1/4".

6. Place die cut panel on your surface and adhere each rectangle and square with foam adhesive.

7. Adhere to A2 kraft card and add sentiments from Yuletide Mice and sequins.

8. Take your time and relax. It took about 45 minutes to make this once I figured out the design in my head. If you don't like piece work, this isn't for you! I find it relaxing.

I hope you are checking out the other designers; they are so talented!

Reverse Confetti Blog

MOOD WHEN DONE: I'm not done sharing for this release. I'll be back with more!

Nov 7, 2020

Reverse Confetti November/December Release Day 3

Note: links to the new products will go live on November 8.

This uses a super cute set, Yuletide Mice, which is part of the new release from Reverse Confetti. Since I've walked away from coloring most images, I used a bright background to frame the image. I love how it turned out.

Next up is another cute set, Deerly. I haven't used those trees yet, but I have plans...

Die cut the mistletoe and popped them up.

For more inspiration, please check out the following terrific designers (there will be a $15 gift certificate to Reverse Confetti for one blog commenter and one for a Facebook commenter. Comments eligible for a prize will close at noon CST on November 7th. Winner will be announced at 5pm CST on the Reverse Confetti blog and on the FB page on November 7th):

Reverse Confetti Blog

MOOD WHEN DONE: I haven't blogged much lately and I am unable to figure out a new version of blogger, so I know the fonts and spacing of these posts are off. Thanks for sticking with me!!

Nov 6, 2020

Reverse Confetti November/December Release Day 2

The Best Gift of All

The Best Gift of All is a great set if you are looking for sentiments with a religious message (they can be hard to find). Plus, I love the font!

Went with a bold, colorful, grid because that is my current favorite style and it works with a square shaped sentiment. Die cut and popped up a large circle in the center and added a few clear gems.

The Best Gift of All and Starstruck Cover Panel

Die cut the "star" portion of the Starstruck Cover Panel with 3 different colored cardstocks, pieced them together on copy paper, and then trimmed. Popped up with foam tape on white glitter paper.

Split the sentiment after stamping it -- the large block of white just overwhelmed the design. Separating the lines just gave a little breathing room. Or am I totally overthinking? (I'm always overthinking!)

Reverse Confetti Blog

MOOD WHEN DONE: If you could see my craft room you'd send in helpers!! With masks!! Looking forward to seeing it clean and organized. But, having a ton of fun making a complete mess with this release.

Nov 5, 2020

Reverse Confetti November/December Release Day 1

Delighted to be participating as a "'Fetti Friend," meaning I'm a guest designer for Reverse Confetti for the months of November and December.

Today we are highlighting 3 new sets -- Mixed Messages, Botanicals, and Home for the Holidays. I'm also using a new Confetti Cuts Cover Plate, Plaid Lines Big.

Mixed Messages and Plaid Lines Big

Took one look at the Plaid Lines Big Confetti Cut plate and I knew what I wanted to make with it. Such a great (and easy) way to make a fun, colorful, graphic card. Cut some strips of green and aqua cardstocks and die cut using the plate, and then die cut a white base and adhered to an A2 card. Popped up the colored pieces with foam tape. Added a sentiment from Mixed Messages and done!

Botanical and Mixed Messages

Stamped and embossed the smaller images on watercolor paper. Added a quick wash of watercolor and die cut. Love how the dies cut out the center of the spaces between the leaves and blossoms.

And the sentiment "Tomorrow is a new day" is spot on!

Home for the Holidays

Stamped a couple of houses in Versafine Onyx ink, embossed with clear powder, and then ink blended. The sentiment is from a set released earlier this year that I just love -- Best Sentiments.