Working my way backwards

It all began with a stamp store that used to be in a lovely part of our area called Port Dalhousie (pronounced: Daloozie!), home of the 5c old-timey carousel rides.

The Port Marina

Before this auspicious meeting, I had only heard of scrapbooks as a glorified picture album.  I just didn't get it.  (I still don't, really ... no hate mail, please).  But when I saw the handmade cards on display, I knew I had found my calling.  A few hours later and a hundred bucks lighter, I had made lifelong friends with the shopkeeper and her husband and after a couple holidays became known as the handmade-card-girl.  I cannot tell you the thrill of walking into a friend's home and seeing one of my cards on display.  My mom has some of my earlier, more elaborate stuff framed (!), but then again, she gave birth to me, so there's that.

Anyhow, that's what began my foray into the world of papercrafting.  I made the typical beginner's mistake of overbuying: I'd walk into the shop, see a card on display and say, "Give me all the stuff I need to make THAT!"  I don't think people know just how far crafting expenditures can go, I'm sure there's a Amex Black Card just for stampers.  But I put the brakes on my stamping and card making one day when I was in the store picking up some cardstock and a freshly blown-out blond (no offense, just being descriptive!) breezes in asking for tinkleberry cream embossing powder.  When Pat, the delightful owner told her they were out and expecting a shipment, she literally stamped her foot in frustration and - her already high pitched voice rising an octave - whines, "But I NEED the tinkleberry cream embossing powder!!!!"
The next part is kind of a blur, but in my narrative, I dropped the card stock, letting it fall in slow motion (but it's heavy, so I can't make it flutter as I would like to in this story) and ran out of the store, breathlessly jumping into my husband's waiting car yelling, "JUST DRIVE!!!!"
I never want to be that woman (though I envy her blow out).  So I left the whole business for a while.

Since coming back to card-making, my designs have become much simpler.  My embossing gun (which cannot be used as a hair dryer Poppa), lives in a dignified semi retirement and I've learned to appreciate the simplicity of layering papers.

After this weekend's Candyland extravaganza (relevant posts to follow) where many of our friends joined us to commemorate Baby S's birthday, I needed to produce a bunch of thank you cards with enough speed to compensate for the delay that will be caused by Canada Post's mail strike.  So I returned to my roots and opted for a simple design with just a few embellishments that you could forgo if you don't have the tools.

I only recently started using Martha's craft punches. These punches are a really neat tool to have; while they're not exactly cheap, with the ubiquitous coupons you can usually get them for well under ten dollars.  Add 3-D glue dot to your shape and you've got a design that pops off the page.

Another recent change I've made is the use of clear stamps.  I've seen them for a couple of years but just walked right by, not quite getting the how and why of them.  (Not to mention I have an embarrassingly extensive collection of wood mount stamps).  But if you are a beginning stamper, I HIGHLY recommend them.

With wood mount stamps, you ink your rubber, say a prayer, and hope it lines up properly on the page (it never does).  With the clear mount stamps, you can actually see exactly where you are stamping.  The difference is phenomenal.

So, stay tuned as I bring you a couple of my favorite crafts from the actual party.  Looking through some of the pictures, I realize that I am surrounded by enablers; not a single friend or family member ever took me aside, grabbed my by my shoulders, and said, "Enough."  Maybe I should have been posting as I planned!