A few weeks ago I took a great class at InkAbout It in Westford, MA. We used Memory Box stamps to create Christmas cards. One of the stamps we used is called, "Birch Trees". Even though we were making Christmas cards and I wasn’t yet in "Halloween" mode, when I stamped the image and saw trees in a woods I immediately thought of a poem I used with my Kindergarten students, "In a dark dark wood..." Along with the poem an idea for a Halloween card came into my head. That idea has been hovering in the back of my mind because I needed to purchase some black alphabet stickers before I could create the card. I’ve been in and out of the craft stores for weeks and never once thought about the stickers until yesterday. I found exactly what I wanted.
So I cut some orange paper from my stash and used some black ink to stamp the birch trees. I stamped slightly on top of the first stamped image to make the trees taller. I stamped another partial set of trees next to the first set and then stamped slightlly on top of them to make them taller. I affixed the alphabet stickers to the paper and then attached the paper to the card, held it up to admire it and...it was crooked. I ever so carefully peeled the paper from the card, placed it again, and...it was still crooked. I peeled it off again. I measured the paper. It was only the slightest bit off, but it bugged me. Big time. So...I trimmed the orange paper and of course that made it smaller. I placed it on the card, got an idea, and trimmed it even smaller. I like it! It works for me. I thought about adding a paper punched witch, bats, or ghosts...but...the card doesn’t need it. It’s simple, but effective. And now as I look at my card I don’t see a dark dark woods...in my mind I see a winter woods! With some wintery words on it. That card will have to wait for another day, but it’s filed in my memory!
MaryBeth and I attended the Creating Keepsakes Conference in Manchester, New Hampshire a few months ago. We saw some chipboard robots from My Mind’s Eye, loved them, and purchased them. Mine have been sitting in a container for months. I saw them the other day and decided to play with them. I’ve created 5 cards with them so far today. Each card is only sli
ghtly different from the previous one. I didn’t buy any special paper to use with the robots. I have tons of scraps that are most definitely user friendly. Super easy cards to create...trim the papers, add some ribbon, attach the paper to the card, affix the robots and other embellishments to the card, stamp a message, attach it to the card, done!Have a great weekend!
Carol
2 comments:
Thinking like a teacher, that card could be used for a poetry/art lesson. What a great class that could be. (dark, creepy, etc. what great words the kids could think up for the cards). Just thinking out loud.
I think that Marian would love to see it as a hall bulletin board...Hint, hint! Maybe you could get Paula's kids to help you...Oh, and we should tell Martha about it too!
You can print out the blog to help you remember it!
Post a Comment