More Cards!

I've had a lot of fun the past two days making cards after watching online tutorials.

The first card is explained in detail here by Stacey at Scrapbooking Simple. I used the same supplies Stacey used, ordered from her store. I haven't seen the stickers in stores near me, but liked them so much, I will be ordering more and looking for them locally.

I won't describe in the detail that Stacey does because she covers it so well in her YouTube demo and I don't want to step on any copyright toes, should that be a factor.

Materials used were

Sookwang tape
Elizabeth Craft Designs peel off (vinyl) sticker  #2559
Elizabeth Craft Designs silk microfine glitter
Zig Brushables markers

This was super easy and I think the result is stunning. The YouTube video is long, but please consider watching the part that explains how to accomplish this. She begins explaining how to use the products at the 7:30 mark, and gets into how to add glitter and then color at 12:00.

I cut this oval free handed, than added it cardstock cut with Nestabililities Labels Four S4-190 Die. The green paper was a scrap, cut on the long sides with a Martha Stewart punch.

The photos don't do this justice. The colors and sparkle (without screaming GLITTER) are beautiful.

The next card is my first slider. I followed this  Slider card tutorial . I think the only dimension that Julie doesn't give is for the strip of paper on the front that covers the slider opening. I cut mine (the print on white background at the bottom) roughly 1 3/4" x 6". The only change from her instructions is that I oriented my slider to go to the right instead of left.

I used the same paper to hide the working part of the slider on the inside. All I have left is to decide on an inside greeting.

This was a little bit of work but not difficult. I know the recipient will be happy with it which is all that matters. That and the fun I had making it.

I will definitely use both of these techniques again.

Holy Crap! a birthday card

The idea for the toilet paper came from Pinterest on a card that was a photo only, no link provided to credit the original card maker.

I cut a narrow strip of lightweight paper to make the core of the toilet paper roll. Next I cut a strip of actual toilet paper, adhered one end to the core and began rolling. I used small glue dots to hold the free hanging paper to the remainder of the roll and in two spots onto the card. There is a narrow strip of lightweight paper under the free hanging paper to provide body and have it holds its wave. The lines were done with a Copic multiliner.

The holder is a strip of black paper. I used pieces from a floral punch to cut the doodads for the brackets that would hold the dispenser to the wall. This is a better view of the holder.

The "Holy Crap!" punches are both from Stampin' Up. The "30" is Doodletype font, cut with a Cricut.

Use your imagination as to what else could be said rather than Holy Crap. 
I will make this again. The only drawback is that it isn't a card to be mailed. I didn't even attempt an envelope for this.

Too stupid or too smart?

Have you watched a TV show, gone to a movie, seen a play or read a book that has won awards or received much critical acclaim and nominations, only to wonder what others saw that you didn't?

It would be dull if everyone liked the same things, so that isn't the issue. You couldn't pay me to watch Duck Dynasty, but leave me alone if I'm watching an episode of The Big Bang Theory that I haven't seen before.

I recently read The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson, (  Click here for Amazon description ) but not because it had accumulated a list of honors. A friend asked me to read it so we could discuss it. I didn't dislike it, but I can't really recommend it either. For me, it seemed the author couldn't decide if this should a non-fiction history of the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago, or a fictional murder mystery based on fact. It was too heavy on detail for the former and lacked closure on the latter, but that is only my opinion. I did learn a few interesting facts along the way.

The bigger the award, the more hype a novel or play will receive, understandably so. Last night I saw the play August: Osage County. I had not seen the movie, read a synopsis or any reviews. A friend picked this for our evening out.

I won't give any details that could spoil viewing the play or movie. All I will say is that it was 3.5 hours that felt like a mere 7 or 8. I can take black comedy. I can take swearing. I can take a sad drama. What I can't take is not caring about any character. Not one, not at all. There wasn't a redeeming quality to any of them. Did I mention this lasted 3.5 hours? The swearing was profuse, mostly the F-bomb and its variations, but even the C word was used. That one made me cringe. I hate that word. I don't know what other dramas were in the running in 2008 when this won a Pulitzer, but I do wonder what the panel saw that I did not.

I've read that an author, editor or publishing house can buy their way onto prestigious best seller's lists. A restaurant can claim they were voted as having The Best Burgers!!! without revealing that the voting panel was made of friends and relatives who have invested in the business. I know I am sounding cynical but truly, prizes and claims of excellence might lead me to try something because it caught my attention, but I'm not falling for anything. I like what I like and expect you feel the same way.

How do you feel when something with critical acclaim gets a so-so or failing mark on your personal grading system? I once thought that my friends and I were too stupid to see what the critics were raving about, but now I think maybe we are too smart to swallow the hype.