Mass production

We're well into December now and the holiday season. I actually started my Christmas cardmaking very early this year, buying my Christmas papers and supplies right at the beginning of November. However, most of the 50 or so cards I've made so far have either been donated or sold to other people. I left none for myself! So I needed to get lots of cards done and fast! Creating unique designs for each card would've taken forever, so I resorted to the mass production method of one simple design.



I first created a prototype of the cards I wanted to make (which will soon change slightly). I'm a novice when it comes to mass production but I've learned that prepping in advance always saves time. Here, I have all my layers pre-cut and embossed and have the ribbon cut to length. To further save on time, I used the pre-cut, pre-scored cards from Michael's, which were on sale this week.



A little Scor-Tape here and there et voilà! Twenty-two fabulous cards. I changed the position of the circular sentiment and switched the ribbon for this wider sheer and satin one. I felt the design of the card called for a wider ribbon (and shiny satin always seems so festive to me).



And here is the card in all its singular glory. I'm quite happy with it and feel that it is a design that my friends and family will appreciate too.

And now to get on writing in them...

Supplies: Bazzill, Cuttlebug embossing folder, Just Rite stamps, Nestibilities, ribbon from Michael's

Simplicity

I go through phases where different styles of stamping and cardmaking catch my eye. At first, it was all about building embellished cards that were loaded with patterned papers, chipboard, flowers, brads - anything. The more layers the better. Then, I fell in love with all the techniques you can do with Tim Holtz's Distress Inks, vintage effects and vintage images. Actually, I still love all things vintage. But the new thing I currently adore is 'clean and simple.' This usually means creations I can make with just one or two silhouette stamps, some coloured inks, and a white card base. I love how the card above looks like it's been screen printed. Simple is best.

Holiday Silent Auction

My workplace is holding a Holiday Silent Auction to raise money for the Student Endowment Fund. I volunteered to donate two card collections to the auction - one Christmas collection and one All Occasions set. I hope they do well and we're able to raise some money for the students.

Here are the card purses I made to hold the cards. They are sets of 10 cards each.

First Post

I've been crafting for about a year now and I figured it was about time I started joining the online world of stampers and card makers. I've been lurking on people's blogs and on splitcoaststampers for long enough. Time for j.why to break out on her own and give others the chance to lurk on her blog!

Yes, j.why likes to refer to herself in the third person.

And so, stay tuned if you're interested in what I make.

- j.why