More KISS* Cards

* KISS as in "Keep It Simple, Stamper" and not the rock music band of the 1970s!
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Don't you just love that *HOORAY!!* feeling you get when you finish a project that's been occupying space on your To Do list since what feels like so long ago it may have been the day you were born? Well, I'm feeling it now! This week I finished up the cards my friend who sponsors children through Compassion and World Vision requested from me years ago. All I can say is, "Whew!"

This post is the second half of the project I wrote about here. (In a nutshell, the main difference between these cards and the kind I usually do is that on these I had to avoid embellishments - no ribbons, brads, or anything lumpy - and they had to be as light as possible for overseas mailing - as in no layers.) I knew my friend had to mail at least one of the cards near the end of last month, so I mailed her all the cards I had finished mid-February, allowing extra time in case of snow emergencies and other weather-related drama. I'm pleased to say she really liked that batch of cards, and even used the one I wasn't so sure I liked.

I'm happy to report that these last cards were a lot easier than the first batch! Perhaps it was because I had gotten feedback and was armed with ideas on how I could have made the first cards better and more easily. Possibly it was because I wasn't feeling as pressured by a deadline this time. Or maybe the time I spent on Pinterest looking at CAS ("clean and simple") cards by others sparked my creativity. Whatever the reason, I'm really pleased with these. Without further ado, here they are:

Card 9:  Lookie! Stenciling! A Pinterest session reminded me that I own stencils and should be using them! What better way to make a no-layer WOW card? I made a card base of Naturals white cardstock and grabbed my favorite stencil from Balzer Designs. I used a sponge dauber to randomly add Wisteria Wonder, Wild Wasabi, and Pool Party. I pulled a little bit of the design to the inside of the card, then finished it off by adding sentiments that were punched out with the Extra Large Oval punch and lightly sponged along the edges. The picture does not do the card justice!

Card 10:  This is pretty much the same as the previous card, except I used the colors Tempting Turquoise, Melon Mambo, and Daffodil Delight.

Card 11:  As I prepare to move in April, I'm finding all sorts of interesting things in my stash! Case in point, I found a ziplock bag full of card bases that were embossed for me by a stamping buddy prior to my winning a Big Shot. In the bag I found one card embossed with birthday greetings, took it out and ran with it. I just love the simplicity of this card, and the colors make it fun for any age!

Under the cupcake is the phrase "Make a Wish."

I included this picture to show the "Just For You" stamp on the back. I usually put my name or initials on cards I make myself, but I opted to use non-signature "hand made" stamps for this entire project. I can't explain why, it just felt right.

(By the way, am I the only one who thinks "minion" when seeing this much yellow in one place?)

Card 12:  These last two cards are meant to be EXTRA special because they are going to girls in the Philippines in celebration of both their birthdays and their graduations. I can't believe it didn't occur to me before this to make a card using Dazzles stickers. They're easy to work with and are a big WOW when paired with SU!'s shimmer white cardstock. 

The inside sentiment reads, "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams."


Card 13:  This card is very similar to the above, but I decided to use a butterfly stamp from a newly acquired set by Hot Off the Press instead of the silver medallion Dazzles. I went through three drawers of embossing powders to find my favorite and the *perfect* one for this card; it's called Gold Fire Opal, and it is absolutely stunning on the shimmer white card base. Gold Fire Opal has a shiny gold base (no tinsel) with flecks of mostly red iridescence mixed in. When the light hits it just right, the effect is incredible. If you click to enlarge the picture below, you may catch some of what I'm trying to describe.

So there you have it, a year's worth of cards for children and young adults all over the world. This turned out to be a very good project for me, not only because it's a relief to finally have done something I've been wanting to do for years, but also because it forced me to re-think my style of cardmaking and try some new things. I'm very grateful to my friend for giving me this experience.

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I've mentioned several times in the last few posts that I'm packing to move, but haven't said what it's all about. The good news is that the apartment complex I live in is being renovated, and some notable improvements are being made. The bad news is that I have to move off-site for three months while the contractors are working on the renovation, and then I repack anything I've needed and move back in; so I'm basically moving twice! We're being moved two buildings at a time, and mine is one of the first to be done. I'm told that the move to an off-site apartment will probably be mid-April, but I have to be ready to go on April 1st. The renovation is supposed to be done in 90 days, but they can't nail a date down until after the project has started. As you can see, there's lots of variables that are making for a lot of stress. My priority right now is to pack, pack, pack. However, I have no intention of packing up ALL of my crafting materials - I'd go insane if I couldn't stamp! - so you can expect blog posts to continue while I'm off property. My projects may not be particularly complicated, but they will be the best they can be with the materials I'll have on hand. Just think, in a year from now I'll be looking back on all this and laughing... I hope.

It's been a long weekend (I'm scheduling this post on Sunday night), and I need to sign off and go dream of - oh heck, I'm too tired to dream, LOL.

Sleepy Smiles,
Joyce Spear a.k.a. StamperJoyce