Oops!

Daddy's Favorite Princess has been asking a lot lately to make cards.  She participated in the kids Valentines and wanted to make more.   We searched thru the open trackers and she wanted to do the "Gift Card" swap.  You were supposed to make cards like regular cards that were blank on the inside so people could write a message and sign their name.

I asked the host if she could participate (being a kid) and she said yes.  We both signed up and made our cards.  I had gotten a free lolly pop stamp when I purchased a stamp on Etsy and she used it on her cards.  I carved up something Valentine-ish because the cards were due late January and I played with the "old school" label maker.

We finished our cards and mailed them off.  When I get the cards back I see that we didn't read/follow the directions!  The cards were supposed to be 4.5"x 5.5".  Oops, I totally didn't read that part of the tracker!  I guess I better read them more carefully in the future :/

Kids Valentines LTCs

Kids Valentines: BB-8 & Roses

Daddy's Favorite Princess and Lil Ewok are participating in the Kids Valentines LTC swap.

DFP's cards are simply called, "Roses."  She carved the stamp herself, punched the corners of the paper, and added the rind stones.  I did help her stamp the stamp.  I colored the red and she colored the green.  DFP is 7.

Lil Ewok just turned 4 and I did most of his card for him.  I gave him the heart stamp and let him go to town on the backgrounds.  After a while he got tired and I finished them off.  I thought I had an old school label maker but couldn't find it.  I ordered another one knowing if I had one I would use it on cards.  His card is "BB-8."

They had to make 15 cards for this swap and I think they did a good job.  I really enjoy these kids swaps because I want to see what all the kids came up with.  

Happy New Year :)

First plant of the new year :)

I spent part of the first day of the new year out boxing and caching.  I planted a new box in Santa Claus, In and did maintenance on 3 boxes.  I also found 3 geocaches while I was out.  I have a feeling that I will find more geocaches than letterboxes in 2016 :(

I will be participating in Box of the Month again in 2016.  I know, I said I wouldn't do it again but I love getting the stamps.  I have already had one finder on my 2016 BOTM.  The last stop for my 2015 BOTM was St Louis.  I hope it didn't wash away in the floods.

Lumpy Cards: Peacock Plumage

I am using my 2016 BOTM stamp for an LTC swap. These are my cards for the "Lumpy Card Lovers" swap.  They are called "Peacock Plumage."  Fun name.  They have cardboard, encyclopedia & music pages, paint chip, burlap, twine, and a rind stone.  I really enjoyed making these.

The Peanuts Gang: Typical Linus

I guess 2016 will be the year of the postal.  I am already signed up for 3 (counting BOTM).  I am in "The Peanuts Gang" and "Star Wars Characters."   My Linus is ready to go and I have my Ray image transferred and ready to carve.

I have been carving a lot of Etsy stamps lately.  Last year it slowed down around the holidays but not this year.

I hope everyone has a happy & safe 2016 :)

Christmas Carols LTC

Christmas Carols: Go Tell it on the Mountain 

This my card for the "Christmas Carols" LTC swap.  It is a little plainer than I had planned.  I was going to layer the paper but the stamp is just to big.  It is hard to tell from this pic but the paper has music notes on it.  It didn't work out like I planned but I like it :)

Pre-Thanksgiving Leftovers and Secret Santa

I know I am a little late getting this post out.  I participated in TAP's Pre-Thanksgiving Leftover LTC swap.  I was hoping that she would do a "post" swap too and I would do one blog for both.  But my husband had a hunting accident the day before Thanksgiving, we spent 3 days in the hospital that was an hour from home, and there is no way I could have worked on cards if she did two swaps.  But I took pics to make a blog post so here it is.

The background for this card was really fun to make :)  I got the idea on Pinterest, of course.  I made a stencil out of hot glue on my fancy craft mat.  I stuck half of a sheet of paper behind the mat so I knew how big to make my stencil.

You let the glue dry/harden and pull it up.  I tried this with regular and glossy card stock.  I sprayed fall colored alcohol inks on.  For the regular card stock I also sprayed a little water.  I liked the regular card stock best.

Pre-Thanksgiving Leftovers-
Proud Pumpkin

For these "left over" swaps you are supposed to use only materials that you have on hand.  So, I can't tell you what colors I used because they were already in the spray bottles.  I ran out of hot glue making my stencil but lucky my husband had some in his garage.

I just got a new sewing machine and I wanted to try it out on this project.  I played around with it a few different ways.  I wanted to do a zig zag stitch but thought it was to busy.  I still think it needs something...

Secret Santa stamp from Porras Posse 

I got my stamp from my AQ Secret Santa!  Porras Posse sent me this cute gingerbread man, stamp pouch, and logbook.  I think I am going to send him off as a Hitchhiker.  I love Hitchhikers :)

Christmas Ornament Swap

Christmas Ornament 2015:
Poinsettia 

This was my first year to participate in the Christmas Ornament swap on AQ.  I had an idea and carved my stamp right away.  But I got distracted and didn't make my ornaments until the last minute.

The great stuff I got :D

I was really surprised by all the cool ornaments that I got from the swap.  I thought I would wait until I got my ornaments to sign up for next year.  Well, that was a mistake because now the swap is full for next year :(  I guess I could make something and hope that someone drops out.

Anyway, this is a fun swap.  If you haven't participated (and are able to get in) you should give it a try :)

Thanksgiving LTC

Thanksgiving: Thank Full

This is my card for the "Thanksgiving" LTC tracker.  I love the simple Life is Good images so I looked for a Thanksgiving theme one.  I liked this one but thought that I would have to make it really big to get the detail and text to look nice.  Then I decided to make the stamp into a shrinky dink.  I probably should have made it bigger but I was worried about using too much carving material.

Shrinky Dinks

The start of this card is a lot like my Gesso one.  I cut my paper to be tag shaped.  Then I tore some old music paper and glued it to the card using Gesso and a knife.  I put the stencil on and put more Gesso on and let it dry.  I hadn't played around with alcohol inks in a while so I wanted to try that again.  I put the ink on the craft mat, sprayed it with a little water, and rubbed my card thru it.

Background before and after the inks

They started off really colorful but I quickly learned that alcohol ink doesn't take well to Gesso.  The color quickly faded.  I still thought they were pretty so I rolled with it.  To jazz it up a bit I sprayed the card with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist gold spray.

Then came the leaf.  I looked around the craft store for a leaf punch but didn't see one big enough.  I thought about printing one off on card stock to make a template and cutting out my own.  But I ending up ordering some die cut leaves  from Etsy.  They came in 3 shapes and 5 colors.  I took a Distress Stain ink pad and a alcohol ink applicator and rubbed the ink onto the edge of the leaves.

Added ink to the leaves

I glued the whole think together with school glue which was probably a mistake.  Some of the color behind the shrinky dink bled and looked odd.  But it is too late now.  I think they turned out pretty good.